Is a Heroin Overdose an “Accidental” Death
What Happened: Terri Yates filed a claim for accidental death benefits under her employer’s group life insurance policy after her husband, Johnny Yates, died from a heroin overdose. His death occurred unexpectedly. Symetra’s Reason for Denial: Symetra, the insurance company, denied the claim by arguing that Johnny’s death wasn’t an “accident” because he voluntarily used heroin. They also believed his actions were intentional enough to trigger a policy exclusion for “intentionally self-inflicted injuries.” The Court’s Key Questions: Was the Death Accidental? The court looked at whether Johnny’s overdose was truly unexpected. It used a test (known as the Wickman test) [...]