What may an insurer require under South Carolina law to determine the cause of an accidental death?

Under South Carolina law, an insurer may require an autopsy to determine the cause of an accidental death. This requirement is grounded in the need for a thorough and objective examination of the circumstances surrounding the death. An autopsy provides vital information by examining the body, which can reveal whether the death was indeed accidental and can clarify any ambiguous details that may otherwise complicate a claim.

Access to medical records is important in understanding a person's medical history and previous conditions but might not provide the specific insights that an autopsy would offer regarding the cause of death. Interviews with the medical examiner or hospital examinations, while potentially useful in certain contexts, do not have the same definitive capacity to establish the actual cause of death as an autopsy does. Thus, in situations involving accidental deaths, the autopsy serves as a critical tool for insurers to ensure accurate determinations are made regarding claims.