Life Insurance Claims Lawyer Chicago

When you’re grieving the loss of a loved one, the last thing you need is a letter from their life insurance company saying their policy will not pay. Sometimes insurers claim a policyholder neglected to list a health condition on their application, while other times, they may claim that a death does not count as an accident under the terms of the policy. Either way, the money your family counted on for the person’s final expenses is suddenly on hold.

Most people in this position have the same question. Is the denial final, or is it worth fighting? A denial is the insurer’s position, but it is not always the last word. A Chicago life insurance claims lawyer can review the policy and the reasoning behind the denial and then tell you whether the decision has merit.

Bartolic Law represents beneficiaries whose life insurance and accidental death claims were denied. We also help insured people whose coverage an insurer is trying to cancel. From our downtown Chicago office, our attorneys handle individual policies and group coverage offered through an employer. 

What Happens When You Challenge a Denied Life Insurance Claim?

Where the policy came from controls your deadlines.

ERISA, the federal law that covers most employer benefit plans, usually governs coverage that comes through a job. Before you can sue, an ERISA plan requires an internal appeal with the insurer. Federal rules give claimants at least 60 days to file that appeal after receiving a denial, which is often the best chance to add evidence to the claim file. Thus, we prepare it with the same care as a court filing.

On the other hand, an individual policy you bought on your own is governed by state insurance law. Illinois’ state Insurance Code requires most individual life policies to become incontestable once they have been in force during the insured’s lifetime for a set period of no more than two years. After that point, the insurer generally cannot void the base policy over mistakes on the application, although it may in the case of nonpayment of premiums or a limited number of other situations. The Code also prohibits life insurance policies from limiting the time to file a lawsuit to less than three years.

Accidental death claims draw especially close scrutiny. Insurers often argue that an illness played a part in the death or that a drug or alcohol exclusion applies. Attorney Michael Bartolic has shown that post-mortem toxicology results drawn from heart blood can overstate the substances in a person’s system before death.

When you hire a Chicago life insurance claims lawyer at our firm, the work on a denied claim usually includes the following:

• Reviewing the full policy and any riders alongside the insurer’s stated reason for denial
• Requesting the claim file to see exactly what the insurer relied on
• Gathering medical records, autopsy and toxicology reports, police reports, and witness statements
• Consulting medical professionals when the cause of death is disputed
• Filing an ERISA appeal or negotiating directly with the insurer
• Filing a lawsuit when the insurer refuses to pay a valid claim

Why Chicago Families Choose Bartolic Law

Insurers have adjusters and medical reviewers building their side of the file, and your side deserves the same attention. Here is what our clients can expect:

• We investigate the facts ourselves. Rather than accept the insurer’s version of events, we look for evidence of how the death actually happened, including speaking with medical examiners when needed.
• We handle both ERISA group coverage and individual policies, so we know which rules and deadlines apply to your claim.
• We practice from Chicago, which means we can meet with you in person and file suit in the proper court if a case requires it.
• Many disputes resolve without a lawsuit. We have helped families recover accidental death benefits discreetly, with no litigation or public record.
• You stay informed. We keep you updated on progress and developments throughout your case.

Talk With Bartolic Law About Your Denied Claim

In many cases, you still have options. However, deadlines do apply, and the clock starts ticking on some of them the day the letter arrives.

At Bartolic Law, a life insurance claims lawyer in Chicago can review your policy and the insurer’s reasoning and then explain where you stand. Schedule an evaluation of your claim today.