Skilled Knoxville Injury Attorneys Helping You When Your Life Insurance Claim Has Been Denied
Fighting for the rights of policyholders throughout Tennessee
As if the grief of losing a loved one was not enough, imagine the confusion and frustration that might come when you learn that your life insurance claim has been denied. You were depending on that life insurance payout to cover your loved one’s final hospital bills, funeral expenses and other final expenses. Do you have any recourse when the insurance company does not pay out a death benefit?
The law firm of Banks and Jones, we are strong advocates for our clients who are facing a dispute with their life insurance company. In a situation where your legitimate claim has been delayed or denied, your first step is to retain a Knoxville life insurance attorney who has experience helping clients recover full policy payments on life insurance claims. You pay us nothing unless we can recover the life insurance payout that is due to you.
Tennessee insurance law
Every state has the authority to regulate its insurance industry, and the responsibility to provide consumer protection. The Tennessee Code (Chapter 56 – Insurance), covers the general provisions for policies and policy holders. The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance is the state agency responsible for oversight of insurance companies, and they offer a complaint assistant on their website which facilitates consumer’s ability to file a complaint
Life insurance companies in the Knoxville area
- John Hancock Life Insurance Company
- American General Life Insurance
- Settlers Life Insurance Company
- Nationwide Life Insurance
- Colonial Penn Life Insurance
- Mutual of Omaha Life Insurance
- Liberty National Life Insurance
Approved life insurance claims
When the death of the policy holder occurs, relatives file a claim including a copy of the death certificate and an autopsy report and toxicology report if applicable along with a medical records release with the insurance company. If everything is in order, beneficiaries should receive payment on the claim within 30 days.
A claim that is not paid within 30 days is delayed, and if you do not receive a letter explaining the delay, you may want to retain the services of a life insurance attorney for help in fighting the delay.
Find out why your claim was denied.
Your denial letter should clearly outline the reason for your claim’s denial. There can be different reasons for the claim’s denial, depending on the reason the circumstances around the individual’s death, and other reasons related to the policy, and federal and state laws.
Typical reasons for denied life insurance claims include:
- Failure to pay premiums, which causes the policy to lapse
- Making a “material misrepresentation” on the application about age or health condition
- The death fell under a policy exclusion such as during SCUBA diving, parachuting form a plane, etc.
- On a group life insurance policy, the employer may have failed to submit a waiver of premium
- Change in beneficiary after a divorce
- Death from drug or alcohol use
- Beneficiary dispute
Deaths that occur within the two-year “contestability window”
If a policy holder dies within the first two years of the policy, which is referred to as the contestability window, the insurance company may contest a claim. They can even choose to cancel the policy and return the premiums at this point if they discover that the insurance application contains false information.
Contact an experienced life insurance lawyer.
Open the life insurance policy that your loved one signed and read just a few paragraphs. Do you have a clear understanding of what is being said, or does it all sound complicated and obtuse? That is why you need the services of a life insurance lawyer who speaks and understands the convoluted language of insurance policies, which re contracts. Life insurance policies are written using obscure legal terms, and they are designed to be read and understood by lawyers. Working with a Knoxville life insurance attorney who has the experience you need to handle your appeal will increase your chances of success.
If you believe that you have a legitimate claim that was unfairly denied, we encourage you to schedule a free consultation with one of our experienced Knoxville life insurance attorneys who will answer your questions and advise you about your options regarding your denied insurance claim.
Work with Knoxville attorneys who understand the intricacies of denied life insurance claims
At Banks and Jones, we offer comprehensive counsel for beneficiaries who are facing life insurance disputes. If you need skilled representation, please call our Knoxville office at 865-546-2141 or contact us now to schedule a consultation.
