Settlements We Have Won for Life Insurance Claim Victims
In the months since your relative passed away, one thing has become clear: the life insurance company is not going to pay out without a fight. Like many victims of life insurance company tricks, you’re probably thinking, “Do I really need to hire a lawyer, or can I get this settled on my own?”
In 2004, a study by the Insurance Resource Council found that insurance companies will pay policyholders more quickly—and up to 3.5 times the amount of the initial offer—when a lawyer is called in to dispute the case. This may because insurance companies know they will not be able to “blow off” members of the legal profession as easily as they do customers, but also because lawyers know how much cases are typically worth—and how much the insurance company would be willing to pay to avoid going to court.
Here are just a few cases the attorneys at Life Insurance Law have won for victims and their families:
- $2,600,000 unanimous jury verdict in Pennsylvania in a product liability action. Our lawyers argued against the defendant’s appeal to the Third Circuit and were able to have the clients’ verdict upheld.
- $1,640,000 total recovery in a product liability action involving a worker who got his hand crushed by a press brake while at work. Client also received a Worker’s Compensation settlement.
- $1,625,000 award and settlement in a combination medical malpractice, product liability and negligence case involving a death after being hit by a car display ramp. Our lawyers were able to obtain the full insurance policy limits from the product liability and negligence defendants, as well as the clients’ entire Underinsured auto policy. Our client also won an additional amount after a proceeding against the medical defendants.
- $1,010,000 recovery in a product liability action where a worker’s hand was caught in between rollers of a printing press. A lump sum Worker’s Compensation settlement was also achieved.
- $300,000 settlement in a dental malpractice case involving nerve injury incurred during an implant procedure.
- $440,000 settlement in a medical malpractice action involving the failure to timely diagnose testicular torsion.
- $231,000 Arbitration Award for a broken hip, which resulted when teenagers involved in horseplay ran into and knocked down the plaintiff. Our lawyers were able to recover the entire award from homeowner’s policies.
- $350,000 recovery in a New Jersey medical malpractice case involving a perforated esophagus.
- $450,000 recovery for client who had a kidney removed as a consequence of a nicked ureter during bowel obstruction surgery.
- $300,000 settlement against a third party for a client who slipped on a waxy floor while working.
- $181,000 recovery for a client who was waiting for a Septa train and had a young man fall on top of him from the level above. The defendants included Septa, the young man and his parent, and the company which installed the glass wall in question.
- $650,000 medical negligence settlement involving the failure to properly care for a patient with tuberculosis.
- $800,000 settlement on the first day of trial in a medical negligence case involving the failure of a family medicine practice to properly care for and treat a patient with a cardiac condition, despite the patient having various known risk factors.
- $375,000 recovery against a psychiatrist for failure to properly treat a suicide victim.
- $500,000 recovery in a medical malpractice case involving the failure to properly respond to a “code.”
At Life Insurance Law, we know many people are tempted to “go it alone” against the insurance company, thinking that hiring a lawyer is one more headache they will have to deal with. That’s why we answer all of your questions in your free consultation, making sure we are the right lawyers for your case.
Intoxication Exclusion Reversed for Clients
The Life Insurance Lawyers can get beneficiaries paid on an accidental death claim despite the intoxication exclusion.
The firm represented a woman who was a named beneficiary in her husband’s accidental death and dismemberment policy. When her husband was killed in a motor vehicle accident, the insurance company denied her claim for death benefits, because the toxicology and autopsy results revealed that her husband had a blood alcohol content (BAC) level of 0.26% – about three times the legal limit in their state. Witnesses also noted that the insured was drinking at a bar prior to the accident. The policy contained an intoxication exclusion, which denies payment of the death benefit when the insured’s intoxication contributed to the accident. Because the insured obtained this policy through employment, the federal law known as ERISA was applicable. The Life Insurance Lawyers handled the ERISA administrative appeal. They utilized their knowledge of the relevant case law to argue that the alleged fact of intoxication did not warrant denial under the accidental death and dismemberment policy. They were successful in getting the insurance company to reverse its denial. The company paid the full death benefit with interest as well as an additional benefit for child care expenses.
In another case, the Life Insurance Lawyers represented parents whose son drowned in a river while kayaking. The insured’s toxicology results revealed a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.12% – well above the state’s legal limit of 0.08%. The parents’ claim for their son’s accidental death policy benefit was denied based on the intoxication exclusion. The Life Insurance Lawyers appealed the denial. They discussed and analyzed the relevant law, and they showed how the alleged fact of alcohol intoxication was irrelevant to the young man’s insurance policy. The lawyers also showed additional flaws in the company’s denial. They produced a variety of evidence that gave strong indications that alcohol was produced after death, and the young man’s BAC was likely much lower than the toxicology results reported. The insurance company insisted on receiving additional proof, so the lawyers obtained the necessary items from the coroner’s office. The company reversed its denial and paid the claim.
The Life Insurance Lawyers use their legal experience and medical knowledge in making persuasive arguments which can result in their clients getting the benefits they deserve.
For a free consultation on your case, call Life Insurance Law’s toll-free number today.
Our dedicated team of attorneys has experience getting insurance companies to pay out fast. While we handle all the business matters, you get the time you need to be there for your family.