Life Insurance Lawyer in Birmingham, AL

People buy life insurance as a means to protect their families. It makes sense; life insurance is the original safety net for a household going through the worst moment of their lives. Insurance companies sell the promise of a lump sum payment, one that will take care of the family’s financial needs while they grieve. But all too often, those promises are broken.

When a life insurance policy is denied, it can be devastating for a family that is still coming to terms with the loss of a loved one. Sinclair Law Firm can help households appeal a denied claim and get the money they’re owed. Our team can help you mourn your loss with dignity and help you find some solid footing during an extremely difficult time.

If a spouse or family member’s life insurance benefits have been denied, Tom Sinclair and his team are ready to fight for you. To request a free case evaluation with a trusted life insurance lawyer, contact our Birmingham, AL law office today. You can also reach us by phone at (877) 249-0091.

Understanding Life Insurance

Life insurance is an important financial safety net for your family in the event of your passing. No matter your age, it’s prudent to have some kind of life insurance coverage in place, whether it’s some form of permanent life insurance or term life insurance.

Permanent Life Insurance

Permanent life insurance provides lifelong coverage as long as you pay your premiums. These types of plans can accumulate cash value over time, and you can access this cash value if necessary when you encounter a significant life event.

The four most common types of permanent life insurance are whole life insurance, universal life insurance, variable universal life insurance, and indexed universal life insurance.

Term Life Insurance

Term life insurance provides coverage for a specified period of time, from as little as five years to as much as 30 years. Term policies are more affordable than permanent policies, though you cannot build or access cash value with term life insurance.

Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance

Another part of the safety net provided by life insurance takes the form of accidental death and dismemberment insurance, often referred to as AD&D insurance coverage. This is a limited form of insurance that has some of the coverages of disability insurance and some of the coverages of life insurance.

Accidental death and dismemberment insurance is typically provided as part of a life insurance policy, but AD&D can sometimes be separate, standalone insurance policies. Because this is typically a clause in life insurance policies, the beneficiary is often unaware of the coverage. You might be entitled to additional benefits under your life insurance policy while also being entitled to benefits under an accidental death and dismemberment policy.

What AD&D Claims Are Covered?

Accidents are just that: accidents. AD&D benefits are meant to offer protection when the unforeseen occurs. The benefits provided by AD&D coverage are related to the nature of the injury or death that caused the claim to be filed. The amount of benefit provided is tied to the nature of the injury itself. For instance, if you lost your arm in an accident, you would get one level of benefit; if you lost your eyesight, you’d be eligible for another benefit.

It’s worth speaking with a life insurance lawyer to review your policy for an AD&D clause or to discuss the possible benefits available after a serious injury accident.

Why Choose Sinclair Law Firm for Life Insurance Disputes in Alabama

Insurance disputes can be exhausting and frustrating, especially if you’ve recently lost a family member. Insurance companies count on you feeling that way to dissuade you from pursuing the benefits you’re owed. When you face resistance, Birmingham-based life insurance attorney Tom Sinclair is here to help you and your family push back.

We Have Decades of Legal Experience

Tom began his legal career representing insurance companies and automakers. He realized his true calling was representing people whose insurance claims were denied. Our team knows how insurance companies deny claims and the tactics used against the people they insure.

We’re a Known Quantity to Insurance Companies

We know that some insurance companies flag files when Tom’s name appears in them. It’s sure nice to be noticed. Insurance companies know that we have a strong reputation and are tenacious with appeals, bad faith litigation in state court, and ERISA claims in federal court.

We Offer Free Legal Consultations

Our legal practice is committed to helping Alabamians who’ve been let down by the system, regardless of politics or class. We can review your life insurance case for free and help you understand what you’re up against and the best options available for obtaining benefits.

We’ll Work with You and Your Financial Situation

We also know how the loss of a loved one can completely change your household finances. During your consultation, we can review your circumstances and figure out a payment plan that accounts for the reality of your situation.

Request a Free Claim Review from a Birmingham Life Insurance Attorney

Don’t go it alone against the insurance company. Sinclair Law Firm has the knowledge and the experience to secure benefits and help you focus on the needs of your household. To request a free claim review with a proven life insurance attorney in Birmingham, AL, contact our law office today.

Tactics Used to Deny Life Insurance Claims

Life insurance companies often take a series of steps to deny a life insurance claim. Over the years, we’ve seen it all. Sinclair Law Firm is prepared to call out these tactics and help Alabama families receive the life insurance payments they are due.

Rescinding the Policy with a Premium Refund

The first step is to try to rescind the life insurance policy, which is essentially voiding the policy. Insurance companies will claim that some required step wasn’t taken before the death of the insured. They will then send your estate or your loved one a much smaller check that refunds the paid premiums. This is an attempt to get the beneficiary to “consent” to the life insurance policy being voided out. 

You have lost a loved one. You are faced with funeral expenses, medical expenses, and the loss of that person’s income. The bills are piling up, and during your grief, the insurance company sends a small life insurance payout, hoping you are desperate or distracted enough to cash the check. This “premium refund” scheme is (to us) the most offensive because it takes advantage of families in their most trying hour. Do NOT cash that premium refund check until you talk to a life insurance attorney.

Hiding the Existence of Life Insurance Coverage

Another life insurance company tactic we see all too often is hiding the very existence of the life insurance policy. You had a conversation long ago with your loved one who has now passed away. You recall they mentioned an insurance policy, but you cannot find a physical copy of their life insurance policy in their belongings. You search everywhere.

This insurance company tactic often comes up when your loved one was employed and had group insurance benefits through their employer’s group insurance policy. Only by investigating the claim using an attorney will you find the life insurance policy. Yet even then, the search for those life insurance benefits is not over. Sinclair Law Firm prides itself on exhausting every avenue to find those policies that you and your loved one had in place. Our team’s goal is to take away the financial burdens of death and provide you with sufficient time to grieve.

Exclusions in the Fine Print

Many of us don’t read the fine print, and insurance companies weaponize that against us. We have all heard of stories where insurance companies try to use the fine print in policies to avoid paying a life insurance claim. That fine print is often contained in what the law refers to as “exclusions” in a policy. Those exclusions are placed in the insurance contract where the life insurers give themselves different ways out of paying valid claims.

This tactic often runs afoul of the law. Only by getting a lawyer working for you can you fight back against the exclusions in a claims process. The team at Sinclair Law Firm can parse the fine print in a life insurance policy, interpret that complicated language, and make sure you get benefits after losing a loved one.

ERISA Life Insurance Claims

Many times, widows and widowers have come to our Birmingham law office having received a “basic life benefit” on the death of their spouse. After we investigate, we sometimes find that the deceased spouse purchased supplemental coverage available under their employer’s ERISA plan, or that the client had spousal coverage under the ERISA-governed life insurance plan at their work.

ERISA stands for the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. While ERISA was originally intended to protect employer-provided benefits, it has since become a way for insurance companies to deny claims and complicate the appeals process for beneficiaries.

Why You Need an Attorney for These Life Insurance Policies

Many ERISA benefits are provided by the employer at no cost to the employee (no payroll deduction is required), so many people are unaware of the ERISA-governed benefits they have at work. Of those who are aware of the benefit, very few can identify how much coverage they have. And if that ERISA-governed claim is denied, beneficiaries have to meet strict deadlines for administrative appeal and a tough fight if they need to seek benefits in federal court.

Our Birmingham law office can help your family get the payment owed through your loved one’s life insurance plan. We’ll carefully scrutinize the language in an employer-provided life insurance policy so you can receive the benefits that were hidden from you. If you need to appeal a denied claim, we’re prepared for the complicated ERISA process ahead and can explain it to you in a language you can understand.

Contact an Experienced Life Insurance Lawyer in Birmingham, AL

When you’ve lost a loved one and have your safety net taken away, Sinclair Law Firm is here to help. We can make sure your household receives promised payments, and we will level the playing field against the insurance company so you don’t feel helpless during a difficult time. To schedule a free consultation with a proven life insurance lawyer, contact our Birmingham, AL law office today. You can also reach Sinclair Law Firm by calling (877) 249-0091.

Life Insurance and AD&D Claim FAQs

You likely have a lot of questions about life insurance as well as accidental death and dismemberment coverage. Sinclair Law Firm has compiled a list of common life insurance and AD&D questions we’ve received from people all over Alabama. If you have additional questions about life insurance, our Birmingham law office can provide answers. Don’t hesitate to contact us to get the information you’re looking for.

Can You Claim Both Life Insurance and AD&D?

Yes. If you have a policy with both life and AD&D benefits or separate policies providing both, your right to those benefits is not exclusive.

How Long Do You Have to Claim Life Insurance?

It depends on the language of the insurance contract. Many life insurance companies have very short windows of time after the insured’s death to provide “notice” of a claim. On top of the notice of claim provisions in the policy, you would also have a separate clause in the insurance contract placing a time limit on your right to bring a lawsuit.

How Do I Claim Life Insurance After a Loved One’s Death?

Notifying the insurance company of a death can be difficult if the policy was purchased by the deceased person. While some policies have details on how to provide notice, many older policies do not and can lead to a search for the proper contact. Having an understanding of the law and possible defenses to the claim that the insurance company may use to deny the claim is crucial, beginning with that first contact.

What Happens If the Beneficiary Does Not Claim Life Insurance?

Often, the insurance policy will lapse due to nonpayment of premiums. Without notice of a claim, no life insurance benefit will ever be paid.

Can a Life Insurance Company Deny a Claim?

Yes. Insurance companies do not make money paying claims. They make money collecting premiums. They save money by denying claims.

Can You Claim Life Insurance Without a Body?

Yes. Proving death is not always dependent on having the body.

Can You Claim Life Insurance Without a Death Certificate?

This would depend on the state laws governing the life insurance policy.