Life insurance companies are increasingly denying claims by pointing to a past suicide attempt, even when the death had nothing to do with self harm. Families are blindsided because they assume the suicide exclusion only applies when the insured dies by suicide within the exclusion period. Insurers have quietly expanded the concept of self harm behavior and are using it to deny claims years later for unrelated causes of death.
This tactic is legally questionable, medically inaccurate, and emotionally devastating for families who believed the policy was secure.
This guide explains how insurers use past suicide attempts to deny claims, why these denials are often improper, and what beneficiaries can do to challenge them.
How Insurers Stretch the Suicide Exclusion Beyond Its Limits
Most life insurance policies contain a suicide exclusion that lasts for two years. If the insured dies by suicide during that period, the insurer may return premiums instead of paying the benefit. After the exclusion expires, the policy should pay regardless of mental health history.
Insurers know this. Yet many still deny claims by arguing that a past suicide attempt was a material misrepresentation on the application. They claim the insured failed to disclose a history of self harm, even when the application questions were vague or the attempt occurred long before the policy was issued.
The denial usually takes one of these forms:
• The insured did not disclose a prior suicide attempt • The insured did not disclose hospitalization for self harm • The insured did not disclose treatment for suicidal ideation • The insurer claims the attempt was evidence of a pre existing condition • The insurer claims the attempt increased mortality risk and voids the policy
None of these arguments relate to the actual cause of death. Insurers use the past attempt as a technicality to rescind the policy after death.
Why These Denials Are Often Wrong
A past suicide attempt does not automatically void a life insurance policy. Insurers must prove that the alleged omission was intentional, material, and directly related to the underwriting decision. Most cannot meet that burden.
Here are the most common reasons these denials fail.
The application questions were unclear
Many applications ask broad questions like:
• Have you ever been treated for a mental or emotional condition • Have you ever been hospitalized for any reason • Have you ever received counseling
These questions are so vague that reasonable people interpret them differently. Courts often rule that ambiguous questions must be interpreted in favor of the insured.
The insurer never asked about suicide attempts
If the application did not specifically ask about self harm or suicide attempts, the insurer cannot deny the claim based on nondisclosure of something it never requested.
The attempt was not medically classified as a suicide attempt
Emergency room records often describe the event differently than the insurer claims. What the insurer calls a suicide attempt may have been:
• An accidental overdose • A reaction to medication • A mental health crisis without intent to die • A misinterpreted incident
Insurers frequently mislabel these events to justify a denial.
The attempt occurred many years before the policy
Underwriting guidelines often disregard mental health events that occurred more than five or seven years before the application. Insurers cannot retroactively apply stricter standards after death.
The cause of death was unrelated
If the insured died from cancer, heart disease, an accident, or any unrelated cause, the insurer must show that the alleged nondisclosure was material to the risk. This is a high bar.
How Insurers Build These Denials
Insurers rely on several predictable sources when constructing a denial based on a past suicide attempt.
• Old emergency room records • Primary care notes referencing past mental health struggles • Pharmacy records showing antidepressants or mood stabilizers • Therapy notes • Hospital discharge summaries • Statements from family members taken out of context
They often cherry pick the most dramatic language while ignoring the full medical picture.
How to Fight a Denial Based on a Past Suicide Attempt
These denials are highly challengeable. Beneficiaries should take the following steps immediately.
Request the complete claim file
The claim file will show exactly what the insurer relied on and what evidence they ignored. It often reveals inconsistencies in the insurer’s reasoning.
Obtain the full medical records
Insurers frequently rely on partial or incomplete records. The full set often contradicts the insurer’s narrative.
Analyze the application questions
If the questions were vague, overly broad, or poorly worded, the denial may be invalid.
Review underwriting guidelines
If the insurer would have issued the policy even with full disclosure, the denial cannot stand.
Challenge the classification of the event
Many events labeled as suicide attempts were not medically classified that way. A proper review can dismantle the insurer’s argument.
Consider mental health parity laws
Some states restrict how insurers can use mental health history in underwriting. These laws can be powerful tools.
When the Denial Becomes Bad Faith
A denial crosses into bad faith when the insurer:
• Misquotes medical records • Ignores evidence that contradicts its position • Applies the suicide exclusion after the exclusion period • Uses outdated or irrelevant medical history • Refuses to provide the claim file • Delays the investigation to pressure the family
These behaviors can lead to additional damages beyond the policy benefit.
Why Families Should Not Give Up
A past suicide attempt does not give insurers a free pass to deny a claim. Most of these denials collapse under legal scrutiny. Families often recover the full benefit once the insurer’s reasoning is exposed and challenged.
If your loved one had a past suicide attempt but died from an unrelated cause, you are not alone. These denials are common, but they are also highly winnable with the right strategy and a thorough review of the records.