Health and Welfare Summary Plan Description
10.4 Death Benefits
- General Rules. If you have not attained the age of 62 and you die while you are covered (i) as an Active Employee (ii) as an Early Retiree (see Section 4.3), (iii) during the first 6 months of no-cost disability coverage (see Section 3.6(b)) (iv) during the first 12 months of COBRA Coverage or (v) while performing Military Service (see Section 6.7), your beneficiary will be paid $50,000 directly from the Plan's trust assets. If your death results from an accident, your beneficiary will be paid an additional $50,000. You may name anyone you wish as your beneficiary, and you may change your beneficiary at any time, but you must complete a beneficiary form approved by, and filed with, the Plan Office. Your beneficiary will be named or changed as of the date an executed beneficiary designation form or change of beneficiary form is received in the Plan Office. The form must be received before your death to be effective. If your beneficiary is under the age of 18 at the time death benefits are to be paid, the Plan will disburse the death benefit only to such individual who has been appointed by a court as the guardian of the minor beneficiary.
- Effect of Divorce on Beneficiary Designation. Any designation of your Spouse as a Beneficiary becomes ineffective upon your divorce from such Spouse, unless the designation expressly provides that it shall remain effective notwithstanding such divorce.
- No Beneficiary Designation. If no living beneficiary is designated upon your death, your death benefit will be payable pursuant to the following hierarchy: first to your surviving Spouse, then to your surviving children in equal shares, then to your surviving parents in equal shares, and finally to your estate.
- Definition of Accident. For purposes of this section, "accident" means a sudden, violent, unexpected, external incident, and expressly excludes natural causes, intentional self-inflicted injury and any reckless disregard for personal safety.