# Sky Diving And Life Insurance **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 20, 2004, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sky-diving-and-life-insurance/251264 "2004-06-20T02:41:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2004, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sky-diving-and-life-insurance/251264/1 "2004-06-20T02:41:32Z")
I just took my first tandem jump, and I was surprised when a cow-orker (who has the same life insurance bennies as me) told me she thought that if I had _splatted_ there would have been no benefits paid and if my carrier found out I jumped, they could drop me. Okay, well that doesn’t surprise me much, but does anyone know if skydivers can get life insurance coverage at _all_? Thanks Quasi ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2004, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sky-diving-and-life-insurance/251264/2 "2004-06-20T03:02:51Z")
In a word scream CITE. Ask to see the language in the group policy. There isn’t any. Group life insurance has no dangerous activities clause nor is it rated up due to the activities of a member of the group. This of course assumes that the group is a business, and not a skydiving club. For individual policies there is usually a question that reads (going from memory) Have you ever participated in skydiving, SCUBA diving, auto racing or any other hazardous sport or hobby? If you have not done any of these things, and answer no, there will NOT be a restriction if you take up one of these activities later. If you are skydiving and answer yes, the company may refuse to issue, or issue with an increased premium. I have never heard of a case where they excluded a cause of death. However they might be able to refuse to pay an Accidental Death and Dismemberment benefit on top of the standard death benefit. This would depend on the language of the policy. If you are a skydiving, SCUBA diver, who races cars on the weekend, when you are not mountain climbing and you answer NO to the question, the insurance company can contest your death benefit for 2 years after the date of the policy. After that they are on the hook. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2004, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sky-diving-and-life-insurance/251264/3 "2004-06-20T12:29:44Z")
What **Rick** said. I got good money says you been told an untruth based in ignorance/cynicsm. But read the policy just in case. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2004, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sky-diving-and-life-insurance/251264/4 "2004-06-20T13:17:55Z")
Read the policy. That’s the ONLY way to know for sure. You may be: 1. covered 2. denied coverage 3. covered with an increased premium 4. covered, with an exclusion for death-by-sky-diving If you ARE excluded from coverage while sky diving it may be possible to purchase insurance for JUST your sky diving activities. I know pilots have had that option for some time (and, of course, that would be an additional premium to pay) but I’m not as famillar with the up and downs of other dangerous activities and insurance coverage. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2004, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sky-diving-and-life-insurance/251264/5 "2004-06-20T15:02:55Z")
Under **Exclusions** (paraphrasing to the pertinent information): " The policy does not cover any loss:… (5) caused by or resulting from riding in, getting into or getting out of any aircraft unless: (a) the Insured Person is a passenger (not a pilot or a crew member) in a tested and approved civilian aircraft being operated as a passenger transport in compliance with the then current rules of the authority having jurrisdiction over its operation; and (b) the aircaft is not owned, leased or operated by or on behalf of the policyholder, the Insured Person, or any other employer of the Insured Person, unless a specfic written agreement has been obtained from us;…" So, I guess since I’m paying for my jumps (15 bucks a jump after my training period), I am considered a “passenger” in the conveyance, only cutting my trip a little short by exiting on my own at 14 thousand feet. Y’all in agreement with that? 😃 Thanks as always for your input, and the fight against my own ignorance continues. Quasi ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2004, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sky-diving-and-life-insurance/251264/6 "2004-06-20T15:21:11Z")
Just about every insurance policy I’ve seen states that if you are not sure if you are covered for a particular activity/object/accident/condition then you should **ask the insurer**. You gain nothing by keeping quiet about it, other than the security of ignorance. ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2004, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sky-diving-and-life-insurance/251264/7 "2004-06-20T16:08:32Z")
Skydiver here. Short answer is yes, you can get life (and health) insurance that covers skydiving-related death/injury. You may have to shop around a bit but you can get it. Depending on the carrier it may not even be more expensive than “regular” insurance. Check with your current carrier and see what their rules are. FWIW, my student health insurance covered my ER visit from a rough landing following a double malfunction back in college. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2004, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sky-diving-and-life-insurance/251264/8 "2004-06-20T20:28:31Z")
> [@Valgard](#): > > FWIW, my student health insurance covered my ER visit from a rough landing following a double malfunction back in college. Thanks for the advice, **Valgard** and congratulations on the rccovery from your “double mal”. I have learned quite a lot over on [dropzone.com](http://dropzone.com), but a search on insurance didn’t reveal anything. Blue Skies 😃 Quasi ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2004, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sky-diving-and-life-insurance/251264/9 "2004-06-21T00:06:52Z")
> [@Quasimodem](#): > > Thanks for the advice, **Valgard** and congratulations on the rccovery from your “double mal”. I have learned quite a lot over on [dropzone.com](http://dropzone.com), but a search on insurance didn’t reveal anything. > > Blue Skies 😃 > > Quasi Thanks. Bag lock followed by line over & Mae West on the round reserve. Landed it spinning in a field and walked away with bruises and sprains. When I bought my own gear I made sure to get a ram air reserve… ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2004, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sky-diving-and-life-insurance/251264/10 "2004-06-21T03:20:02Z")
When I did my one and only tandem jump, the opening shock broke my C2 vertebra (the Christopher Reeve one). My health insurance didn’t blink about covering the expenses. Fortunately it didn’t test my life insurance. ---
**Author:** ![flight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbce88/32.png) [@flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flight)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2004, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sky-diving-and-life-insurance/251264/11 "2004-06-21T03:36:59Z")
From my student insurance plan: > [@](#): > > **EXCLUSIONS AND LIMITATIONS** > > No benefits will be paid for loss or expense caused by, contributed to, or resulting from: > > … > 21. Skydiving, recreational parachuting, hang gliding, glider flying, parasailing, sail planing, bungee jumping, or flight in any kind of aircraft, except when riding as a passenger of a regularly scheduled flight of a commercial airline; > … They specifically exclude most of my favorite hobbies. Just glad they did not include rock climbing and spelunking.