Grose v. Sun Life Assur. Co. of Canada

**What the case was about:** This case involved a dispute over death benefits from an accidental death insurance policy. When an employee died in a drunk driving incident, his family tried to collect benefits from Sun Life Assurance Company. Sun Life denied the claim, arguing that the death wasn't truly an "accident" and that their policy didn't cover deaths caused by drunk driving. **What the court decided:** The court sided with Sun Life and denied the family's claim for benefits. The judge ruled that Sun Life was right to deny coverage because the employee's death resulted from drunk driving. The court found that drunk driving deaths don't qualify as "accidents" under the insurance policy terms, and they fall under the policy's exclusion for "intentionally self-inflicted injuries." **Why this matters for workers:** This ruling highlights the importance of understanding what your workplace insurance policies actually cover. Even if you have accidental death coverage through your employer, certain types of deaths may be excluded from benefits. Workers should carefully review their insurance policy details, especially any exclusions, so their families know what to expect. Deaths involving alcohol or drug impairment may not be covered, even if no one intended the fatal outcome.