State RegulationsCO specificDifficulty 2/5
A Boulder man has held a life policy for three years when he dies by suicide. The insurer denies the claim solely because the death was self-inflicted. Under C.R.S. § 10-7-109, is the denial proper?
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Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why B is correct
Under C.R.S. § 10-7-109, suicide after the first policy year is not a defense against payment of the proceeds, whether the insured was sane or insane and whether the act was voluntary or involuntary. A denial based solely on self-inflicted death after the first policy year violates the statute, so the beneficiary's claim for benefits stands.
Why the other options are wrong
- A) Colorado law expressly limits the suicide defense to the first policy year, so a blanket denial after that year is improper.
- C) The statute has no revival of the defense in later years; once the first policy year has passed, suicide is not a defense.
- D) The claim survives because of the statutory rule, not because of any note or evidence about the insured's coverage intentions.
Memory hook
Year one is the insurer's only shot at the suicide defense.