A history of depression does not equal suicide. Yet life insurance companies frequently blur that line when a policyholder dies under ambiguous circumstances. One of the most common tactics insurers use is pointing to prior mental health treatment and retroactively labeling an accidental or medical death as intentional self harm. When that happens, they invoke the suicide exclusion and deny the claim outright.
This approach is legally aggressive and often unsupported by evidence. But it works more often than it should because beneficiaries are grieving and unfamiliar with insurance law. By the time families realize the denial is questionable, months may have already passed.
How Mental Health History Gets Weaponized After Death
Most life insurance policies contain a suicide exclusion that applies for a limited period of time, usually the first two years. The exclusion only applies when the insured intentionally caused their own death. It does not apply simply because someone had depression, anxiety, or a history of counseling.
Despite that distinction, insurers often use any mental health record as circumstantial proof of intent. Prescription antidepressants, therapy notes, or prior diagnoses become the foundation of a denial even when there is no suicide note, no prior threats, and no evidence of planning.
Depression becomes a shortcut for intent.
Mark’s Case: Depression, a Sudden Death, and a Denial
Mark was a 46 year old project manager, married with two teenage children. Like many professionals, he had experienced depression earlier in life and sought treatment. He took medication for several years, responded well, and continued working full time. His medical records showed no recent crisis, hospitalization, or suicidal ideation.
Mark carried a $750,000 life insurance policy through a private insurer. He had disclosed his mental health history during the application process. The insurer reviewed it, issued the policy, and accepted premiums for more than three years.
One evening, Mark was found deceased in his garage. The initial death certificate listed the cause of death as accidental carbon monoxide poisoning. There was no suicide note. No evidence of planning. No history of attempts. Investigators found a faulty exhaust system that had been recalled months earlier.
His wife, Ellen, filed a claim.
The Insurer’s Theory
The insurance company denied the claim under the suicide exclusion.
Their reasoning relied almost entirely on Mark’s past depression diagnosis. They argued that depression increased suicide risk and that the circumstances were therefore intentional. They cited therapy records from years earlier and the fact that Mark was still prescribed medication.
They ignored the mechanical defect. They ignored the medical examiner’s findings. They ignored the absence of any evidence of intent.
The denial letter framed depression itself as proof.
Why This Argument Breaks Down Legally
Suicide exclusions require intent. Courts consistently hold that insurers bear the burden of proving that the insured deliberately caused their own death. Mental health history alone is not enough.
Several facts mattered in Mark’s case:
• The policy was issued after full disclosure of depression
• There was no suicide note or preparatory behavior
• The death certificate listed accidental cause
• Independent evidence showed a mechanical failure
• There was no recent mental health crisis
Insurers are not allowed to rewrite policy terms to say “mental illness equals suicide.” Accepting premiums after disclosure also undercuts any argument that depression voids coverage.
How the Denial Was Overturned
Ellen hired an attorney who focused exclusively on denied life insurance claims. The appeal attacked the insurer’s assumptions point by point.
First, the attorney obtained expert testimony from a forensic psychiatrist explaining that depression does not establish intent and that suicide determinations require behavioral evidence.
Second, the attorney introduced recall records and engineering reports confirming the exhaust defect.
Third, the appeal emphasized that the insurer had accepted the risk of Mark’s mental health history at underwriting and could not retroactively change that decision after death.
Faced with litigation exposure, the insurer reversed the denial and paid the full policy benefit, plus interest.
Why Depression Based Denials Are So Common
These denials succeed because they sound plausible to people unfamiliar with insurance law. Insurers rely on stigma and misunderstanding. They assume beneficiaries will not want to fight a claim that suggests suicide.
But legally, depression is not disqualifying. It is not intent. It is not proof.
When insurers cross that line, they are betting that no one will challenge them.
When a Depression Suicide Denial Is Vulnerable
A denial based on depression can often be challenged if:
• The insured disclosed mental health history
• The policy was issued after that disclosure
• There is no suicide note or evidence of planning
• The death certificate lists accidental or undetermined cause
• The insurer relies primarily on past treatment
These cases turn on evidence, not assumptions.
Do Not Accept Mental Health Stigma as Legal Proof
Life insurance companies do not get to substitute diagnosis for intent. Policies insure people, not perfect mental health histories. If depression alone were enough to void coverage, millions of policies would be meaningless.
If your claim was denied because the insurer pointed to therapy records, medication, or a past diagnosis, that denial deserves careful review.
We handle depression related suicide denials nationwide and focus exclusively on life insurance disputes. Consultations are free, and there is no fee unless benefits are recovered.