Life Insurance Lawyer Serving Wyoming

The Life Insurance Law Firm — Boonswang Law

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Life insurance is meant to provide peace of mind and financial security for families in Wyoming. But what happens when a claim is denied, or there’s a dispute with the insurance company? These problems can turn an already difficult time into a stressful ordeal. 

Whether it’s a denied claim, unclear policy details, or issues with the insurance provider, these challenges often require professional assistance. That’s where a life insurance lawyer serving WY comes into play. At Boonswang Law, we have decades of experience helping life insurance beneficiaries in Wyoming get their claims paid.

Contact us today for a free case consultation. 

The Life Insurance Lawyers at Boonswang Law have represented Clients throughout Wyoming, Including these Cities and the Surrounding Areas:

Talk with a WY life insurance lawyer to find out how to get your life insurance claim paid

The Most Common Reasons Life Insurance Companies Deny Claims in Wyoming

You know how life insurance is supposed to work — someone purchases a life insurance policy, pays premiums each month, and if they die within the policy term, their beneficiaries receive the death benefit. 

It rarely is this simple because life insurance companies only make money when they collect premiums and deny or delay payouts. They try to use these reasons, among others, to deny life insurance claims in Wyoming.

Misrepresentation

As part of the initial application for life insurance, a policyholder must disclose all personal information, including health and lifestyle habits. Life insurance adjusters base the premiums payment on this information, using it to calculate the risk to them that the policyholder will die within the policy term. 

If a policyholder makes a mistake or omits information and dies within the policy term, the life insurance company will retroactively cancel the policy. They will often claim that the policyholder misrepresented themselves and then deny beneficiaries’ claims. 

The life insurance attorneys at Boonswang Law are experienced with these types of cases and can help you if your life insurance claim has been wrongfully denied for this alleged misrepresentation.

Call the WY Life Insurance Lawyers at Boonswang Today to Discuss Your Case

Boonswang Law is here to help you during this difficult time. Call us today at (855) 865-4335 to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation.

Misinterpretation of the Policy Terms and Provisions

Life insurance companies will purposely misinterpret information in an attempt to deny life insurance claims. If you think this is happening to you, contact our legal team today. We have frequently gotten our beneficiary clients paid after their life insurance claim was initially denied for this reason.

The Policy Lapsed Due to Non-Payment of Premiums

Policyholders must pay a premium each month in order to maintain life insurance coverage. If they fail to pay for any reason, this can cause coverage to lapse, resulting in subsequent claims being denied. However, a missed premium payment or even lapse may not automatically disqualify a beneficiary from receiving death benefits. 

Life insurance lapse and termination are highly regulated, and if the life insurance company or the employer administering the policy failed to adhere to those regulations, it may not be the fault of the policyholder that premium payments were not made. In these cases, our life insurance lawyers can often get our beneficiary clients paid.

Death from Self-Inflicted Injuries

Life insurance policies will have a list of causes of death that are excluded from coverage, called “exclusions.” Death as a result of self-inflicted injuries is frequently excluded from coverage. However, we have found that life insurance companies will attempt to wrongfully classify someone’s death as a suicide so that they can deny the beneficiary’s claim.

In these cases, our life insurance lawyers thoroughly investigate the cause of death, and if we can prove the death was not self-inflicted, we can often get our beneficiary clients paid by the insurance company.

Insurance Scams & Bad Faith: What to Watch Out For

Indexed Universal Life Insurance

Indexed Universal Life Insurance (IUL) scams often involve misrepresentation of the policy’s potential returns and hidden risks. Victims may be enticed by exaggerated benefits only to discover hidden fees, surrender charges, and inappropriate sales tactics. 

These misleading practices can lead to financial hardship, particularly for those unsuitable for this complex investment-linked product. A life insurance lawyer in Wyoming can provide guidance if you have been victimized by such a scheme.

Churning Scams

Churning scams in life insurance occur when an agent persuades a policyholder to switch from one policy to another unnecessarily, often to earn a new commission. This unscrupulous tactic can result in increased costs, loss of accrued benefits, and financial strain. 

Often concealed under the guise of better benefits, churning preys on the policyholder’s trust. If you suspect you’ve fallen victim to a churning scam, speak to a life insurance attorney as soon as possible.

Insurance Bad Faith

Insurance bad faith is a particularly distressing practice where an insurer denies or delays a legitimate claim without reasonable grounds. Victims may face unreasonable delays, unjust denials, or lowball settlement offers, leading to emotional and financial distress. 

Recognizing these unethical practices and seeking the help of a life insurance lawyer in Wyoming specializing in denied claims can be critical in achieving the fair treatment you deserve.

What to Expect When You Hire the WY Life Insurance Lawyers at Boonswang Law

It is likely you have never worked with a life insurance lawyer, and you may not know what to expect. Rather than struggle to handle complex life insurance claims on your own, count on us to help you in the following ways: 

 

  • We review the applicable policy and explain coverage and exclusions to you
  • We review denial letters and any other documentation you’ve received from the life insurance company 
  • We thoroughly investigate allegations made by the life insurance company in an attempt to deny your claim
  • We handle all negotiations with the life insurance company’s team of lawyers
  • We vigorously litigate your claim in court if the life insurance company won’t pay

Common Wyoming Life Insurance Questions

What Happens If a Life Insurance Beneficiary Dies before the Policyholder?

If the primary beneficiary dies before the policyholder and the policyholder did not designate a secondary or contingent beneficiary, the benefits may pay to the policyholder’s estate.

If the beneficiary is still a minor when the policyholder dies, the courts will usually choose a custodian to oversee the minor beneficiary’s death benefits. However, nothing can really be done to stop the custodian from using the minor’s payout for their own use.

If someone wants a minor to receive the death benefit, they should consider setting up a trust, designating the minor as the beneficiary of the trust, and appointing a trustee to administer the trust and act as the minor’s fiduciary. We suggest hiring an estate planning attorney to help you understand the legalities of setting up a trust.

Sixty days if the policy is group life insurance through an employer. Otherwise, it is prudent to file your claim denial dispute as soon as possible after getting the denial letter in order to have the best chance of finding and preserving evidence supporting payment of your life insurance claim. Having a life insurance lawyer handle your dispute is highly recommended so you can feel confident that everything is being done correctly.

Only the policyholder can legally change the beneficiary on a life insurance policy. In some instances, a person who has power of attorney over the policyholder may make changes to the policy.

Unfortunately, there is no nationwide database that lists every person who has purchased a life insurance policy. You will have to investigate on your own. Contact their employer to ask if they offered group life insurance coverage as a benefit of working there. Also, look through old documents in search of life insurance company paperwork and review bank statements to locate evidence of paid insurance premiums.

Of course you can! It is surprisingly common for policyholders to list only one of their children as a beneficiary on their life insurance policy. Although the beneficiary will not be able to add family members to the policy after the policyholder’s death, there’s nothing stopping them from sharing their benefits once the benefits have been received.

First, know that policyholders can change the beneficiary at any time as long as they are of sound mind and not under duress when they make the changes. 

Irrevocable beneficiaries, however, are an exception to this role. The term irrevocable beneficiary usually refers to the policyholder’s spouses and children. Divorce or estrangement does not remove this status. An irrevocable beneficiary must approve all policy changes that affect their benefits. Some policies may even require them to consent to all changes.

If an insurance company notifies you that you were removed as an irrevocable beneficiary from a life insurance policy, you may be able to contest this.

Life insurance policies typically have a grace period for unpaid premiums, so you may still be able to receive death benefits even if the policyholder missed a payment. Also, in cases where the lapse was not the fault of the policyholder, we have been able to get our beneficiary clients paid. If you are a beneficiary of a lapsed life insurance policy, the WY life insurance lawyers at Boonswang Law can help you understand what your rights are.

No. The policyholder generally is the only person who can make changes to the policy. If you receive paperwork showing that the beneficiary changed after the policyholder’s death, it is most likely fraudulent. If you suspect fraud, contact a law firm experienced in practicing law in WY, like Boonswang Law.

With a divorced or remarried policyholder, confusion may arise over who gets what, and this is governed by state law and varies state-to-state. Wyoming life insurance lawyers can explain what you’re entitled to as the policyholder’s spouse or former spouse.