When a family member or loved one passes away, we often rely on life insurance policies to cover end-of-life expenses and other costs. Unfortunately, insurance companies might deny these claims, making things very difficult for grieving families.
Generally, claimants will go through the internal appeals process first to resolve the issue with the insurance company. If that does not work, a formal complaint might be necessary. Depending on the outcome of the complaint, we can file a lawsuit against the insurance company for wrongfully denying your life insurance claim. No matter how you approach the issue, you need evidence to back you up. The policy itself is perhaps the most important evidence in your arsenal. We also need to know precisely why the insurance company denied your claim, as there might be multiple reasons.
If you were recently met with a denial when trying to claim a life insurance policy, you might have several legal options to help you challenge the insurance company. Our attorney for life insurance claim denials can help you begin. For a free case review, call Howe Law at (844) 876-4357.
Steps to Take After Your Life Insurance Claim is Denied in Warner Robins, GA
After your life insurance claim is denied, you can begin taking steps to challenge the denial and hopefully get the insurance company to pay out the policy. Our lawyers for life insurance claim denials can help you determine how and where to get started.
Begin the Appeals Process
Often, insurance companies allow claimants whose claims are denied a chance to appeal the denial. The appeals process is usually an internal process handled by the insurance company. How long you have to submit an appeals request, the necessary information, and the required methods depend on your insurance company and policy.
In many cases, the appeals process can help people whose claims were denied because of errors. For example, the insurance company might have lost track of an important document regarding your policy and denied your claim by mistake. We can work with the insurance company through the appeals process to correct possible errors.
Convincing the insurance company that it made a mistake is not always easy, and there is a chance your appeal will be unsuccessful. In that case, we can move on to other legal options.
Submit a Formal Complaint
Another possible option is to file a formal consumer insurance complaint with the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire (OCI). Your complaint can be submitted to the Consumer Services Division, an investigative branch of the OCI. If we believe the insurance company wrongfully denied the claim or is otherwise not playing fair, we can submit a formal complaint and hopefully get an investigation started.
Only certain insurance companies and policies fall under the jurisdiction of the OCI. Many government insurance policies, including Medicare, Medicaid, and insurance policies under the University System of Georgia, are not governed by the OCI.
Generally, we cannot file a formal complaint as our first step. The OCI usually wants claimants to try and work things out with the insurance company before filing a complaint. As such, this option is usually taken after an appeal.
Sue the Insurance Company
Although filing a lawsuit is a big step that gives many claimants pause, it might be the best way to get your life insurance policy paid out. In many cases, people sue insurance companies because when the insurance company wrongfully denied the claim, they violated the insurance policy’s terms. Insurance policies are contracts between the policyholder and the insurance companies as well as beneficiaries. Wrongfully denying the claim is a breach of the contract.
In other cases, the insurance company did not engage in fair practices or denied the claim in bad faith. These are very different circumstances, as insurance companies often know what they are doing is wrong but continue to do so because they believe they will not be caught.
Evidence you Need to Challenge Life Insurance Claims Denials in Warner Robins, GA
Whether you are filing an appeal, complaint, or lawsuit, you must have evidence to support your claims. Often, much of your evidence will be used in each legal channel you might use to get your denied claim approved. Our Attorneys for life insurance claim denials can help you get the evidence you need.
Perhaps the most significant evidence in your case is the insurance policy itself. The policy is the contract between the policyholder and the insurance company, and you are included as a beneficiary. The policy defines how and when the insurance policy may be claimed. A violation of these terms may be considered a breach of contract.
You also need to have all documentation related to your claim. This includes all emails and written communications to and from the insurance company. When the insurance company denies a claim, they must provide a written explanation as to why the claim is denied. We also need details about the policyholder and how they passed away to make sure the claim is within the terms of the policy.
Reasons Life Insurance Claims Are Often Denied ion Warner Robins, GA
Insurance companies often have numerous reasons for denying claims, sometimes multiple reasons for one denial. Our lawyers for life insurance claims denials can help you determine if the reason your insurance company gave you is a breach of the policy.
Contestability periods are windows of time immediately after the policyholder purchases the life insurance policy. If a policyholder passes away during this time, the insurance company might reserve the right to challenge the policy and deny the claim. However, the mere fact that the policyholder passed away during the contestability period does not mean the insurance company can automatically deny the claim. There still must be a valid reason.
Insurance companies often claim that they were misinformed or not provided enough information to pay the claim. Life insurance policies are usually based on numerous information about the policyholder, such as income, age, lifestyle, and overall health. The insurance company might deny the claim if they believe they were misinformed.
Call Our Warner Robins, GA Attorneys for Life Insurance Claims Denials for Help
If an insurance company recently denied your life insurance claim, our attorneys for life insurance claim denials can help you start your fight for justice and the money you are entitled to. For a free case review, call Howe Law at (844) 876-4357.
