A death of a loved one, or loved ones, can be incredibly taxing. No one wishes death upon another, and those that do are seen as slightly maniacal and possibly unstable. Either way, dealing with a death can be hard, and is not made any easier when attempting to deal with an insurance company that denies a life insurance claim over the cause of death.
But, if you ever get stuck in this situation, it is important that you understand why the denial has been made, as well as how to challenge the denial, in hopes that the death and work of the policyholder does not go to waste. Read about denied life insurance
Why is a Life Insurance Claim Denied due to a Murder-Suicide?
The denial process can surprise many people. Insurance companies will almost always look for a way to deny an insurance claim, as they see the death as another payoff, and wish to make a bit more money for themselves through the premium payments and processes.
With a murder-suicide, the death is what is under fire. Many companies file the contract under the assumption that the policyholder dies under an accident. Instead, the death is seen as an intentional thing. This can be compounded if both the beneficiary and the policyholder are involved, such as the beneficiary killing the policyholder, and then killing themselves afterwards. Such situations can and have occurred in the past, creating massive conflicts in regards to who gets paid.
What problems occur?
If both the beneficiary and policyholder are deceased, the estates of both parties may attempt to claim entitlement of the policy benefits. Not only that, contingent beneficiaries may also attempt to make a claim as well, resulting in a split way claim system that could boggle the best of minds.
Not only that, the cause of death may come under fire as to whether or not the death was intentional. This is due to insurance companies having to deal with possible swindlings, and people attempting to make use of the clauses placed forward in the contract. As such, a death that may, in even the slightest sense, be seen as intentional can be a cause of denial for an insurance company.
How can these be resolved?
The first thing that must be done is proving the innocence of the policyholder. Since a murder-suicide can be seen as extremely complex, it will be difficult, but it must be proven that the policyholder was feloniously murdered. The interpretation of feloniously murdered is, unfortunately, up to the interpretation of the courts and insurance company, as well as the other parties involved.
Many of these problems need the expert help of experienced and knowledgeable attorneys that specialize in murder-suicide claims cases. At our offices, we have many experienced lawyers and attorneys that are willing to work closely with your party, to ensure that details in this messy, complex case are sorted out properly. No one wishes for someone to have to deal with legality problems after a murder-suicide, and we know that best, which is why we hope to help you as efficiently and quickly as possible to have this all resolved.
Best bet is to speak to our denied life insurance claim lawyers about getting you the full policy.