Death Benefit Claims
Insurance companies will do anything to avoid paying a claim. When your loved one passes away, the last thing that you want to do is fight with the insurance company in order to be paid your rightful death benefit.
As an experienced life insurance attorney, Steven Brian Davis recommends proactive steps to help with your interactions with an insurance company. Before a claim is filed, the best things any insured person can do for their family are to
- Be specific when naming beneficiaries and have a clear plan for your estate;
- Document all life insurance policies or policy changes;
- Communicate with family members about life insurance policies and wishes;
- Keep the insurer informed of changes in address or contact information;
- Compile a list of all possible death benefits owed, including those linked to current or former employers.
In recent years, several major national companies have been sued for failing to locate the beneficiaries of life insurance policies. The L.A. Times reported that (http://articles.latimes.com/2011/may/24/business/la-fi-metlife-heirs-20110524), “[u]npaid life insurance benefits nationwide exceed $1 billion, according to the National Assn. of Insurance Commissioners.” Several of these types of lawsuits have affected California specifically, including North County, San Diego. In addition, insurance companies have been caught doing things like changing the causes of death so that they are not liable to pay what is owed.
An experienced life insurance attorney knows that there are consumer protections in place for policy holders, and the Law Offices of Steven Brian Davis are happy to advocate for their client’s claims. Some life insurance policies even include an incontestability clause, which states that life insurance companies must unconditionally pay out benefits if the insured has been paying premiums for more that two years. This clause remains in effect even if fraud is discovered.
Steven Brian Davis has over thirty years serving North County, San Diego as a life insurance attorney. Our life insurance attorney can assist with
- Investigating the existence of additional death benefit claims;
- Initial benefit applications;
- Claims submission;
- Preparing appeals after a denial of death benefits;
- Appealing terminated benefits;
- Litigating issues related to claims.
Call The Law Offices Of Steven Brian Davis today: (858) 451-1004 to schedule a consultation regarding your unpaid death benefits.
