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Q5) Under what circumstances may an insurance company refuse to pay
anything if the horse dies?
If the insurance company finds that the owner has provided the company with
false information, coverage can be denied. If the horse's owner fails to meet
specific policy requirements, or fails to notify the insurance company of any
illness or injury suffered by the horse, coverage can be denied. In all cases,
it is the owner's responsibility to know and meet the terms and conditions of
the policy, including notifying the insurance company and, in the case of the
destruction of a horse, providing a veterinarian's certificate to prove that the
destruction was necessary. If the conditions are not met, or are not met in a
timely fashion, the coverage may then be voided.
The horse-owner should also be aware of other common exclusions in equine
mortality policies. If the horse died from poisoning, it must be proved that the
poisoning was accidental. If the horse was stolen (assuming that theft is
covered by the policy), the owner must notify the company and the local law
enforcement agencies immediately, and the horse must have been stolen by someone
who was not related to the owner. If the horse dies during, or because of, some
types of surgery, the owner must be able to prove that the surgery was performed
by a qualified veterinarian, that the surgery was necessary, and that it was
done to save the horse's life.
Finally, since a person is not allowed to take advantage of his own wrong,
the insurance company will not pay if an insured horse is deliberately killed by
its owner or its owner's agents, or if it dies as a result of abuse,
mistreatment, overwork, or failure of the owner to use ordinary care.
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