# Death Penalty and Insurance Payouts

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-penalty-and-insurance-payouts/202663>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 19, 2003, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-penalty-and-insurance-payouts/202663 "2003-09-19T19:46:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![sj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@sj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sj2)\
**Post date:** [September 19, 2003, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-penalty-and-insurance-payouts/202663/1 "2003-09-19T19:46:13Z")

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So, I’m cutting my hubby’s hair and I got to thinking…

If an inmate is put to death, what are the implications for the insurance company?

Would they pay on the average policy guidelines? They are being put to death, afterall. Not suicide, which normally negate the payout of claims.

Since the inmate on death row normally is there for a decade, would their “earning potential” be effected?

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**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\
**Post date:** [September 19, 2003, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-penalty-and-insurance-payouts/202663/2 "2003-09-19T20:00:03Z")

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In general, insurance doesn’t get paid out for things that occur during a crime. For example, if you lost an arm during a bank robbery, you wouldn’t be able to make a claim against your ADD rider, the crime voids the claim. Of course I am only refering to the perps. If the victim is properly insured, their claims would be paid.

Being sentenced to jail would most likely void your insurance.