John W. Redmann | March 13, 2025 | Personal Injury
You may have heard the term double indemnity in a life insurance policy or even in a movie plot. In simple terms, double indemnity is an insurance feature that pays out extra—often twice the normal policy amount—if someone dies in a specific way, usually by accident. While it’s mostly linked to life insurance, it can also affect personal injury cases, especially if they involve a wrongful death claim.
Below, we’ll break down how double indemnity works, why insurers might deny it, and what steps you can take if you’re facing a dispute over these benefits.
How Does Double Indemnity Work?
If a life insurance policy includes double indemnity, it means the insurer pays an increased benefit—often twice the policy’s face value—when a death is classified as accidental. For example, if a policy is worth $200,000 and carries a double indemnity clause, the payout might be $400,000 if the cause of death meets the policy’s definition of an accident.
Insurers generally have conditions about what counts as an “accidental death.”
Some requirements might be:
- Time limits: The death must occur within a certain number of days after the injury.
- Proof of accident: You need medical reports or accident evidence showing the death was not from illness.
- Exclusions: Some policies won’t pay double if the policyholder died while doing risky activities, like skydiving or rock climbing.
Carefully reading the policy can help you understand whether certain events are covered or excluded.
Reasons Insurers Deny Double Indemnity
Even if a death seems accidental, insurance companies sometimes refuse to pay double indemnity benefits.
Common reasons include:
- Excluded events: If the policyholder was involved in a banned activity—like a high-risk sport—or took part in something criminal, the company might deny the claim.
- No clear accident: If there isn’t enough proof that the death was accidental, the insurer may hold back payment.
- Evidence of suicide: Double indemnity typically doesn’t cover intentional self-harm.
- Policy lapses or errors: If the policy expired or premiums weren’t paid, the insurer might argue that coverage was invalid at the time of death.
Insurance companies are for-profit entities, and they work to minimize their liability whenever possible.
Why Double Indemnity Matters in Personal Injury Cases
For the most part, you’ll find double indemnity clauses in life insurance documents.
However, it can still be important in personal injury lawsuits—especially wrongful death suits—because:
- Higher payout: If your loved one died in an accident, their life insurance could pay double benefits. This extra money can help cover expenses while you also pursue a wrongful death claim against the party at fault.
- Proof overlaps: Showing an accidental death for double indemnity often needs the same evidence you’d use in a wrongful death lawsuit. For instance, police reports and witness statements can both help prove fault in a legal case and prove it was indeed an accident under the insurance policy.
There may be other contexts in which the term may appear in a personal injury case, depending on the facts of the situation.
Contact the Metairie Personal Injury Lawyers of The Law Office of John W. Redmann, LLC for Help Today
Dealing with double indemnity issues can be stressful—especially if you’re already grieving a loss. If you believe an insurer isn’t following the policy or you want advice on how to prove an accidental death, consider talking to a personal injury lawyer.
A skilled attorney can explain your policy, guide you through the claims process, and stand up for you if the insurance company tries to deny a rightful payout. You don’t have to handle these challenges on your own. Instead, reach out to a trusted legal professional to help secure the benefits you deserve.
If you were injured in an accident in Metairie or Gretna, Louisiana, and need legal help, contact our personal injury attorneys at The Law Office of John W. Redmann, LLC, to schedule a free case review today.
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