Weatherford insurance law attorneys and those in Mineral Wells, Springtown, Aledo, Azle, Millsap, Brock, Hudson Oaks, Cool, and other places in Parker County need to know what the “slayer’s rule” is as it relates to life insurance benefits.
This rule is exemplified in the 1987, Texas Supreme Court case, Crawford v. Coleman. Here is some background.
This is an insurance disqualification case involving the distribution of proceeds of life insurance policies.
Life Insurance Lawyers in Grand Prairie and those in Fort Worth, Dallas, and other places in the metroplex area, would want to be aware of this case.
The opinion was issued on July 19, 2012, by the United States 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. The style of the case is, Cheryl Likens v. Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Company. Here is some background.
After coming home drunk, Wesley Vincent was found face-down in front of his house by his wife, Cheryl Likens. He was taken to the hospital but eventually died. Likens tried to collect as the beneficiary of an accidental-death insurance policy, but the claim was denied under an alcohol exclusion, because Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Company (“Hartford”) determined that the injury resulted from being legally intoxicated from alcohol. The district court granted summary judgment for Hartford based on the alcohol exclusion. This Court affirmed the trial court.
Weatherford attorneys and those in Mineral Wells, Aledo, Azle, Springtown, Millsap, Brock, Willow Park, Hudson Oaks, and other places in Parker County might find this article interesting. The article is from The Hartford Courant.
Connecticut joined 21 other states that agreed to a settlement with MetLife in a case that questioned whether the insurer did enough to find and pay beneficiaries after policyholders die.
The settlement means $40 million will be paid in penalties and about $438 million will go to unpaid policies that were written more than 50 years ago.This settlement amounts to nearly $900,000 for Connecticut beneficiaries,” Insurance Commissioner Thomas B. Leonardi said Tuesday. “Policyholders made their premium payments and have every right to expect MetLife to make good on its promise to pay claims. Working with fellow regulators on behalf of those policyholders and their families has helped accomplish that.”
Grand Prairie life insurance lawyers and those in Fort Worth, Dallas, Irving, Arlington, Richardson, Mesquite, and other areas in the metroplex area need to be aware of the existence of this case.
The opinion was issued in 1981, by the El Paso Court of Appeals. The style of the case is Doris R. Young v. Members Life Insurance Company. This is an older case and presents a point of view that this writer has not seen in later cases. But one that needs to be noted, just in case.
This is an appeal from a take-nothing judgment in a suit brought by Doris R. Young, to collect the benefits of an insurance policy on the life of her deceased husband, Edwin Young. The judgement is based upon jury findings that the application for insurance contained false representations concerning the health of Edwin.
Grand Prairie lawyers who handle insurance cases and attorneys in Dallas, Fort Worth, Benbrook, Burleson, Cedar Hill, Duncanville, De Soto, Mansfield, and other places in Texas need to know about this insurance case.
The case is from the Houston, 1st District, Court of Appeals. The style of the case is, Republic-Vanguard Life Insurance Company v. Beth Walters. Here is some of the relevant background.
Beth Walters sued on a life insurance policy covering her deceased husband. Republic denied the claim based on misrepresentations in the policy application. A jury decided in favor of Walters, finding that Republic knew facts that would have caused a prudent person to inquire about and discover material facts intentionally omitted by the decedent in his application for the policy.
Grand Prairie insurance lawyers, and those in Dallas, Fort Worth, Richardson, Mesquite, Garland, Irving, Arlington, and other places in the North Texas area who deal with life insurance cases involving a suicide would want to be aware of this case.
The case is an opinion issued by the Amarillo Court of Appeals in 1986. The style of the case is, Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Co. v. Steven M. Dettle, et al. Here is some background.
Southern Farm Bureau appealed from a trial court’s judgment rendered in favor of Steven M. Dettle and Phillip D. Dettle, as administrators of the estate of Douglas Dee Dettle, deceased. The controversy arose from Farm Bureau’s failure to pay benefits on a policy insuring Douglas Dee Dettle. The deceased – insured was found dead in his apartment in Stratford, Texas. He died as the result of a single shotgun wound to his lower abdomen and genital area. Farm Bureau defended on a suicide exclusion in the policy and certain alleged misrepresentations in the deceased’s application for insurance. (Here, we will discuss only the suicide issue). In response to special issues, the jury determined that the deceased’s death was not a suicide and that the deceased’s “no” answer to the question in the application, “Have you in the past 5 years used alcoholic beverages to excess or intoxication?” was false.
Life Insurance Attorneys in Weatherford, Mineral Wells, Peaster, Springtown, Aledo, Azle, Brock, Millsap, Cool, Hudson Oaks, Willow Park, and other places in Parker County would want to read this case.
The case is an appeal in the Corpus Christ Court of Appeals that was issued in 1988. The style of the case is, Lilly Sharp v. Lincoln American Life Insurance Company. Here is some easily understood background.
Lincoln defended the case on the grounds of there being misrepresentations in the policy application. The trial was to the Judge without a jury. A take nothing judgment was entered in favor of Lincoln. Findings of fact and conclusions of law were properly requested and filed.
Insurance lawyers in Grand Prairie, Arlington, Fort Worth, Haslet, Roanoke, Newark, Saginaw, and other places in Tarrant County would want to be aware of this case.
The case opinion was issued in 1980, by the Texas Supreme Court. The style of the case is, Mattie Emmaline Mayes v. Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company. It is one of those cases that Insurance Law Attorneys need to be aware of.
Rather than being decided on a motion for summary judgment, the way many insurance cases are decided, this case went to trial and there was a finding for Mayes. The intermediate appeals court reversed the trial court and then the Texas Supreme Court reversed the intermediate court and sent the case back to the trial court for further findings.
Residents of Grand Prairie, Fort Worth, Arlington, Hurst, Euless, Bedford, and other places in Texas need to be able to read and understand the papers related to life insurance policies. The following case is a good example of this.
The case was decided in 2004, and was an opinion issued by the Dallas Court of Appeals. The style of the case is, Royal MacCabees Life Insurance Company v. Vicki James and The City of Mesquite. Here are some of the facts.
Donnie James was a police officer for the City of Mesquite who died on June 5, 1998. This dispute arises out of a group life insurance policy issued by Royal for City of Mesquite employees. Under the policy, an eligible employee could elect coverage in incremental amounts up to $100,000. It is contended that Donnie James was eligible for, elected, and paid premiums for $100,000 in benefits. There is no dispute as to the first $50,000 in benefits. Royal paid $50,000 after James death. The lawsuit arose out of Royal’s denial of the additional $50,000 in benefits for which Donnie James had paid premiums (through payroll deductions) for four years and ten months prior to his death.
Insureds in Grand Prairie, Fort Worth, Saginaw, Southlake, Roanoke, Keller, North Richland Hills, and other places in Tarrant County need to understand what their life insurance policy says.
The United States 5th Circuit Court of Appeals issued an opinion in 2008, that is on point. The style of the case is, Quihong Liu v. Fidelity and Guaranty Life Insurance Company.
Here is some of the factual and procedural background.
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