I’m not sure….from what I’ve researched this seems to be highly dependent on the insurer and even sometimes the specific contract (as well as the state where the death occurred due to varying local/state laws and regulations)
I’m not sure such a blanket statement does not accurately cover all life insurance providers.
sources - (some of these mention only autopsies but from everything I can find this language covers autopsies, toxicology reports, further investigative techniques employed to study cause of death…)
“
There is no law that states an autopsy must be performed when someone dies.
If an insurer denies a claim such as the one discussed here they’re acting in bad faith to the beneficiary. Insurer’s know that there is a burden of proof that falls on the person making the claim, and not on the insurer. The burden of proof means that the beneficiary must prove the death circumstances are not excluded under the policy’s Exclusions Clause. Exclusions include the use of prescribed medications, non-prescribed drugs and intoxication.
These exclusions cannot be determined if there was no autopsy, unless there was a toxicology exam. But there are issues with the accuracy of toxicology exams that are performed without a full autopsy and are the least reliable type. This can be proven.
Each state has a different definition of the burden of proof. Some are very restrictive and some are very lax. Insurers who deny claims on this basis alone subject themselves to severe penalties if it turns-out they never intended to pay the claim and simply put an undue burden on the beneficiary”
From
https://cflid.com/life-insurance-claim-denied-because-no-autopsy/
this example is from a letter from the North Carolina Dept of Insurance, and it mentions how in certain scenarios regarding death, the medical examiner has jurisdiction over the investigation, and if they take jurisdiction over the death then they make the decision(s) regarding any further investigation and/or testing….which whatever results are from those the insurance company can choose to rely upon and make their decision for a claim based on all, some, or none of that. And IMOO since we know that medical examiners and autopsies being done can vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, I think (while this source only applies to NC highlights the major differences that can vary from state to state as well as from insurance provider to provider
Link -
https://www.ncdoi.gov/media/1511/open
