Delayed claim result · June 9, 2026
$248,000 in Group Life Insurance Claim Despite Drug Exclusion Dispute
Life Claim represented the widow and the child of a man who died of an accidental drug overdose. Through his employer's group plan with The Standard, he had $62,000 of basic life insurance and $186,000 of additional life insurance, with his widow and child sharing the benefit.
The claim stalled. The insurer first held it over the death certificate, which did not yet list a cause and manner of death, and then raised the policy's drug-use exclusions. Families in this situation are often told, or assume, that an overdose means no insurance at all.
We fought the insurer on its position, and The Standard paid the full life insurance benefits with interest to both of our clients, a total of more than $248,000. The benefit was split 55% to the widow and 45% to the child, so the check shown is the widow's 55% share.
Every case is different, and past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
