Millions Of Dollars Recovered For Bad Faith Insurance Denials
In some cases, an insurance company will attempt to cancel a life insurance or disability insurance policy without a valid reason. Technically called “rescission,” this policy cancellation may have a widespread effect on your and your family’s well-being.
At Mansell & Engel in Oklahoma City, we understand what is at stake for you and those you love. Our priority is to help you successfully navigate this complex legal process and obtain the full coverage and benefits you deserve.
With more than 100 years of combined experience, our lawyers know how the courts work. We know how the law works. Most importantly, we know how the insurance companies work. Our knowledge is an invaluable benefit as we fight unfair coverage denials and other types of “bad faith.”
Denied claims are often based on an insurance carrier’s assertion that:
In Oklahoma, life insurance disputes often arise during the first two years after someone has purchased a policy. After two years, it is very difficult for an insurance company to get out of paying the promised benefits to the beneficiaries. During that two-year window, however, the company has the opportunity to challenge the application. It will typically go back through the health information the person provided and look for a way to claim he or she lied or left out important facts.
For instance, the company may see that the deceased person was taking medication for high blood pressure. It may then assert that the person failed to include “high blood pressure” as a health condition on the life insurance application, and therefore the application was invalid. The company will then use this excuse to avoid paying any money to the person’s beneficiaries.
Companies often contend that if there is inaccurate health information on an application, they automatically have the right to deny the claim and rescind the policy. This is not true.
Oklahoma law requires the insurance company to prove that the deceased person intentionally provided deceptive or inaccurate information. This means that it isn’t enough for the insurance company to show that a person failed to report a certain health condition – it must also have evidence that the person meant to do so.
Life insurance is supposed to be there when it is needed – but claims can be unfairly denied. Below are answers to common questions we hear about the problem:
A denial does not mean you are out of options. You may have several legal paths to challenge the decision:
Our insurance attorneys will assess your denial letter and explain your legal options.
To strengthen your appeal, you should collect key documentation, which may include:
We help gather, organize and present this evidence clearly so your case is as strong as possible.
The period it takes to resolve a life insurance denial case in Oklahoma depends on several factors, including the complexity of the claim, the reason for the denial and whether legal action becomes necessary.
Although we cannot guarantee how long each case will take, we will not stop fighting until we have done everything we can to recover the benefits you are rightfully owed.
