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Award Winning Chicago personal injury lawyer

Jonathan Rosenfeld - J.D

September 9, 2024

  • Over $450 Million worth of case results
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Life Insurance Claims

There are many things we can’t control in this world, but life insurance can provide a financial safety net in the aftermath of someone’s passing. While life insurance is a great thing to have, filing a claim to obtain life insurance is a whole different ball game. 

For a lot of people, after the death of a loved one, the last thing you want to deal with is complications when trying to get a life insurance policy. You can face several challenges, but knowing what they are and why working with a life insurance claim lawyer is essential. 

From claim denials to delays and other issues, Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers are your dedicated ally when dealing with life insurance claims. We’ve worked with beneficiaries for years to help navigate the process and make it as smooth as possible while advocating for their rights and the life insurance benefits they’re entitled to. 

Types of Cases Handled by Our Life Insurance Lawyers

At Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, we’re able to handle a variety of different life insurance claim cases. We have the expertise that covers the intricacies of life insurance to help you claim what’s owed to you. When handling life insurance claims, having a trusted ally in your corner can make all the difference. 

Life Insurance Claim Denials

Unfortunately, life insurance denials are some of the most common issues we help people with. The reasons that life insurance companies deny claims vary from case to case, but that doesn’t make them less frustrating. 

Life insurance companies can deny a life insurance claim for things like a missed premium, alleged policy misrepresentations, or exclusions written in the policy. A denied life insurance claim can be difficult for beneficiaries who are counting on that payment and grieving their loved ones. 

Working with an experienced life insurance attorney can make a huge difference when dealing with the insurance company and their life insurance denial. 

Life Insurance Claim Disputes

Another typical life insurance case we help with is life insurance claim disputes. Disputes can happen because of confusion surrounding beneficiary designations, disagreements involving the policy terms, or disagreement or confusion about the cause of death. 

Life insurance claim disputes are often emotional and complex, leaving loved ones even more upset and frustrated. Our experienced life insurance lawyers understand the intricacies of these disputes. They will help with mediation and litigation to resolve the issues as soon as we can while offering you the best representation possible. 

Delayed Life Insurance Claims

Delayed claims are the last major life insurance claim cases we have experience working with. In some cases, life insurance companies might delay paying the policy to beneficiaries. 

This can be incredibly stressful, not only financially but also emotionally. The reason they’re delaying the life insurance payment varies from case to case, but it can be administrative errors, insurers trying to avoid a timely payout, or prolonged death investigations. 

Working with one of our attorneys means you’ll have someone in your corner to fight these delays and help you get your benefits as soon as possible.

Like many other legal cases in the United States, there are federal and state laws that govern life insurance. Knowing whether federal, state, or both laws play a role in your claim is vital for understanding your situation and how to navigate through the claim. 

States often set their laws that govern life insurance, meaning that different states can have different rules regarding life insurance. However, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) also plays a role in life insurance, including dispute regulations. An experienced life insurance claim lawyer can help determine which laws apply to your situation. 

ERISA Challenges

Many people take out life insurance policies with their employers. The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) governs most employer-provided policies. Since ERISA is a federal law, these types of life insurance claims can be more complicated in many cases. 

Handling ERISA claims requires a thorough understanding of the federal law and how to strategize before litigation. However, there are specific timelines you must follow to file claims, disputes, and more. 

Dealing with state laws is already complicated, but dealing with federal law can make things far more complex. When you work with an experienced life insurance lawyer from Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, we’ll help you navigate ERISA claims. 

FEGLI Challenges

Another federal program that we’re equipped to help with is FEGLI. Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) presents many difficulties for those who don’t know how to navigate the claim. 

Any life insurance claims from FEGLI have precise federal regulations that must be followed. Even one tiny misstep can cause denials or delays with the claim. By working with attorneys who understand FEGLI deeply, you’ll likely be able to avoid many of the challenges these claims can bring. 

The Implications of Life Insurance Policies with Minor Beneficiaries

Lastly, we understand how to navigate life insurance claims when the main beneficiary or beneficiaries are minors. These issues can be state and federal. These cases involve not only the life insurance claim but also the guardianship of the minor.

There are many situations where the courts don’t act in the best interest of the minor beneficiaries, so working with a lawyer is a must.

Life Insurance Claim Denial Reasons

Life insurance claim denials are far more common than you might realize. That’s why you’ll want to understand why they’re denied. 

With a better understanding of potential reasons for the claim to be denied, you can avoid this and have your approval. Our lawyers are capable of understanding these reasons and fighting to ensure you get life insurance and that your rights are upheld. 

Material misrepresentation is a common reason a life insurance company might deny a claim. They often say they’re rejecting the claim because the policyholder didn’t provide accurate or complete information when they applied for the insurance policy. 

Not all alleged misrepresentations are valid, and working with a life insurance claim attorney is helpful. Our lawyers can review the details of the claim and the supposed misrepresentation and then determine how to proceed so you can get the life insurance benefits you’re owed. 

The vast majority of life insurance policies have an incontestability clause. This clause limits the time when an insurer can contest the validity of a policy based on misstatements in the application. 

After the period, the insurer can no longer deny a claim based on these grounds. The time frame is generally two years, but it can vary. Our attorneys can help you better understand incontestability and navigate through this clause.

For someone to receive a payout for a life insurance policy, insurers require some proof of insurability. Evidence of insurability (EOI) is documentation that proves the policyholder is eligible for the life insurance policy. 

Sometimes, an insurer will deny the claim when they don’t feel there’s enough evidence to prove insurability. This requires a legal team to go through comprehensive reports to prove insurability so you can fight the denial. 

A lapse in coverage for a life insurance policy occurs when the policyholder fails to pay one of their monthly premiums. This is one of the most common reasons insurance companies will deny a claim. Most policies have a grace period during which the policyholder can start making payments again, and the policy is reinstated, but every policy is different. 

Lapses in coverage aren’t as straightforward as you might think, so working with a great lawyer is vital. Even when someone starts making their payments again and there’s no longer a lapse in coverage, some insurance companies still try to deny a claim. A lawyer will work with you to fight the denial on this basis. 

Life insurance companies deny claims when they don’t believe there’s enough documentation. The documentation can be anything from death investigations to documentation proving insurability and more. Our life insurance attorneys can help guide you through the process of working with the companies to see what documentation is lacking.

The majority of life insurance policies include a clause regarding suicide. It’s usually there as an exclusion cause, meaning they can refuse to pay out the life insurance if the person is presumed to or has committed suicide within a certain period. This is already a difficult enough time, and you shouldn’t have to fight with insurance companies about suicide. 

Details based on suicide can often be contested, but that’s where working with an experienced life insurance lawyer comes into play. Our life insurance attorneys understand how difficult dealing with a loved one’s passing is and how to dispute a denial based on suicide. 

Life insurance companies also consider inherently dangerous activity when determining if they’ll deny a claim. Inherently hazardous activity can be anything that the company deems as high-risk behavior or activity that caused or led to their death. 

Each insurance company classifies high-risk activities differently. They usually include backcountry skiing, car racing, scuba diving, and similar activities. They even deem certain occupations high-risk activities. Some of those jobs include hunting and fishing, construction workers, and those in aviation.

For an insurance company to legally deny a claim for inherently dangerous activity like the ones above, the death has to be related to those. Just because someone works in construction doesn’t mean they automatically will have their claim denied, primarily if their death is associated with a car accident or natural causes. 

High-risk activity is typically excluded from life insurance coverage, so our attorneys will work with you to analyze the policy and claim to see how we can secure your benefits. 

Unfortunately, the death of a loved one can bring out the worst in people or lead to problems when it comes to who the rightful beneficiaries or beneficiaries are. A life insurance company can deny a claim when unsure who the rightful beneficiary is or if someone tries to claim that they are when the documentation says otherwise. 

Beneficiary disputes are complicated and almost always require legal representation. If you’re dealing with this, our lawyers at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers are ready to help settle the dispute as efficiently as possible. 

For those who’ve purchased a group life insurance policy through their employers, this can cause some issues, especially when the claim is denied. When a life insurance company issues denials for group policies, ERISA regulations and other considerations are often involved. 

An experienced life insurance lawyer can help you navigate these denials, especially since they have expertise in ERISA.

The last most common reason a life insurance company will deny a claim is a breach of fiduciary duty. Fiduciary duty is a legal obligation that states one person needs to act in the best interest of another. In the context of life insurance policies, a breach of fiduciary duty happens when someone from the insurance company isn’t acting in the policyholder’s best interest. 

There are several ways they might not be acting in the policyholder’s best interest. For example, they might misrepresent their policy limits or coverage, cut corners during a claim investigation, or fail to disclose vital information about their policy or claim. 

Dealing with fiduciary duty breaches is complicated and requires an attorney’s expertise. Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers will be there for you every step of the way. 

Why Choose Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers

Jonathan Rosenfeld, Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer

No matter what issue you’re dealing with regarding a life insurance policy claim, making sure you partner with an experienced and knowledgeable law firm can make all the difference. Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers has a wealth of experience with life insurance claims and is dedicated to every client’s case as if it were our own.

Our entire team will provide you with effective representation and compassion as we help you navigate a life insurance claim denial, dispute, or delay. We’ll work with the insurance company to investigate the issue and sort everything out as quickly and thoroughly as possible so you can get your benefits. 

If you’re facing a challenge surrounding a life insurance claim, Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers is ready to fight for your rights. 

Call us today at (888) 424-5757 or complete our online form.

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“Jonathan Rosenfeld was professionally objective, timely, and knowledgeable. Also, his advice was extremely effective regarding my case. In addition, Jonathan was understanding and patient pertaining to any of my questions or concerns. I was very happy with the end result and I highly recommend Jonathan Rosenfeld.”

Michonne Proulx

“Extremely impressed with this law firm. They took control of a bad motorcycle crash that left my uncle seriously injured. Without any guarantee of a financial recovery, they went out and hired accident investigators and engineers to help prove how the accident happened. I am grateful that they worked on a contingency fee basis as there was no way we could have paid for these services on our own.”

Ethan Armstrong

“Jonathan Rosenfeld was professionally objective, timely, and knowledgeable. Also, his advice was extremely effective regarding my case. In addition, Jonathan was understanding and patient pertaining to any of my questions or concerns. I was very happy with the end result and I highly recommend Jonathan Rosenfeld.”

Giulia

“This lawyer really helped me get compensation for my motorcycle accident case. I know there is no way that I could have gotten anywhere near the amount that Mr. Rosenfeld was able to get to settle my case. Thank you.”

– Daniel Kaim

“Jonathan did a great job helping my family navigate through a lengthy lawsuit involving my grandmother’s death in a nursing home. Through every step of the case, Jonathan kept my family informed of the progression of the case. Although our case eventually settled at a mediation, I really was impressed at how well prepared Jonathan was to take the case to trial.”

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