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Life Insurance can help ease financial burdens when a loved one passes. Grieving the loss is of course immensely difficult, but sometimes insurance companies add insult to injury by denying valid life insurance claims. A life insurance lawyer can help you secure the money you and other beneficiaries are entitled to.
Life Insurance is a special type of contract between the policy holder and the insurance company. Premiums are paid to the insurer in exchange for a promise to pay a specified sum to the beneficiaries upon death of the insured person. Both parties to the contact owe the other a duty of good faith. The person taking out the insurance must be open, honest, and candid when completing the application, and the insurance company must pay legitimate claims.
Common reasons life insurance claims are denied include:
Yes! The law regarding life insurance is complex, and insurance companies do not always get it right. For example, death by suicide, innocently failing to disclose material information, and negligent misrepresentation are generally not valid reasons to deny the claim if more than two years have passed since the insurance policy was issued.
There are sometimes other legal avenues to pursue. Individual life insurance policies are typically obtained through an insurance agent or broker. Sometimes the insurance company properly denies the claim, but the agent or broker made mistakes that caused the denial. If those mistakes amount to negligence, the agent or broker’s insurer may be required to pay what would otherwise by payable by the life insurer.
Some examples of situations where you can challenge a denied life insurance claim include:
You have important legal rights when an insurance company refuses to pay out a life insurance claim, including the right to consult with a lawyer. A life insurance lawyer can help by reviewing the claim denial letter, obtaining the insurance company’s complete file, analyzing the application process, and generally scrutinizing the insurers reasons for denying the claim.
You can obtain this initial legal opinion for free by contacting Michael Jordan, life insurance lawyer. If Michael is of the opinion that the claim denial can be challenged, he will recommend taking legal action on your behalf, which is likely to result in a fair settlement.
A lawsuit does not mean you are going to court. The vast majority of insurance claims settle long before trial, typically at mediation. Mediation is a structured settlement meeting where the insurer, the beneficiaries, and their lawyers are assisted by a neutral mediator. The steps required to get from life insurance claim denial to mediation often include the following, although more or less may be necessary depending on the situation:
Different life insurance lawyers have different fee arrangements. In most cases, Michael Jordan’s fee structure for denied life insurance claims is as follows:
Initial consultation
No fee
Obtaining insurer’s file, analyzing the file, and providing a legal opinion
No fee
Commencing and prosecuting a lawsuit through to settlement or judgment
No fee unless successful. The contingency fee is usually 30% of any recovery, plus HST, plus disbursements. The defendant insurer will contribute to these expenses, increasing your net recovery.
In the event there is no recovery, there is no fee, no HST, and no disbursements.
Contingency fee retainer agreements are governed by the Law Society of Ontario.
Michael Jordan has been practicing insurance law, including denied life insurance claims, for more than 18 years. He has access to a network of experts who can assist with formulating the initial opinion, and well honed strategies that compel insurers to pay. Michael has resolved claims with every major insurance company in Ontario, including Sun Life, Manulife, RBC, Desjardins, and Canada Life, among others. He has dozens of 5 star Google reviews, and recovers millions of dollars for his clients every year.
Contact Michael Jordan for your free consultation today.
Michael Jordan is a honest, fair and intelligent lawyer! He is very patient and spends as much time as is needed to ensure his clients understand what he is doing. I would highly recommend him! Sandra Clarke
Michael Jordan is a man you want on your side! He is compassionate, caring and beyond knowledgeable! He will never steer you wrong! Michael Jordan has already made a huge impact on our family and will always be our go to guy!
Michael Jordan was my lawyer for my long term disability case. I would recommend using him for a LTD case. He was very knowledgeable, helpful and always available when I had questions.
Review for Mr. Michael Jordan, Long Term Disability Lawyer. I am not usually a person who leaves reviews, but on this occasion I felt compelled to given the exceptional service I have received. I was in a situation where I required urgent guidance regarding an LTD matter, I decided that I would find someone who had a very high google review...
I contacted Michael for my long term disability claim. My LTD had been denied and so I reached out to him for help. The process from beginning to end was perfect and simple. He really is there for any questions or concerns and is so kind and helpful. He makes you feel less alone and cares about your well being. With his help I was able to get a...
Patient and kind, thorough and knowledgeable, that's Mr Jordan.Im grateful to have made a connection such as this! Thank you.
Michael Jordan is a Wonderful Caring Understanding Professional man that truly helped me when my LTD was denied several times as most are. I knew many people give up but I was entitled to LTD. I called Michael and sent all of my information with all of my medical and he said I had a case. He will take a percentage only if he wins which he did...
Many LTD lawyers will give you advice that will be biased to their advantage. Michael is the only lawyer I spoke to who wants what’s best for you, and does not care if he benefits from your decisions. His advice is fair, he is honest, and I would not trust anyone else with my case. He will tell you what is best for you. I appreciate him so...
Michael Jordan will personally return your calls. He listens to you and provides excellent advise. I strongly recommend him.
Michael was very pleasant to deal with. I'm pleased with the work he did for me, always replied and understood my issue and supplied useful information. I highly recommend him.
My experience with Michael Jordan was excellent. I was given much needed advice and everything was explained to me in very clear terms. Response time was outstanding! Michael was reassuring and compassionate and was able to resolve my disability claim very successfully. I would highly recommend Michael and his team to anyone.
Mr. Jordan responded immediately to my first phone inquiry and has been readily available for detailed consultation and support throughout my long-term disability application. As the claim was finally approved and no litigation was required, there was no fee. Knowledgeable, professional and kind, there is no doubt that I will direct all my...
Michael Jordan is a wonderful lawyer. He is polite, very courteous and very professional. He answers his phone, responds to messages and takes the time to clearly explain the information that you need to know. He helped me out with an issue on little notice and was beyond helpful. If I could give him a higher rating than 5/5, I definitely...
I feel very fortunate to have come across Michael Jordan's practice. His responsiveness, sense of service, and professionalism inspired a lot of confidence in me to pursue my case. I highly recommend him to anyone who finds themselves in an overwhelming insurance process.
I recently had the pleasure doing business with Michael, he was very professional and did what he said he was going to do. Michael kept me updated through the entire process! I would highly recommend Michael's services and best of all I got the outcome I was expecting!
Very refreshing to have a lawyer actually pick up the phone himself. Gave me excellent advice free of charge regarding my LTD questions. Would highly recommend.
I would highly recommend Michael Jordan. From the very beginning, he was attentive, clear and precise with his direction, quick to respond and helped me through a very difficult time in my life. He assisted in making this process much smoother than I could have ever anticipated and I was very happy with the outcome. I would not hesitate for a...
Micheal Jordan is very knowledgeable and helpful in regards to long-term disability claims. Very willing to help by explaining and listening/understanding the problem. I would reccomend his services.
Thank you Michael, for your hard work. I like that if I needed anything your office was there to answer my question in a timely manner. You know your information and it was a great help on the case. Michael is respectful, hard work and knowledgeable gentleman that wants the best for he clients.
Thank you Michael and Your team for your...
LTD lawyer, Michael Jordan, jumped right on board to take my case, even though he did not have much time to prepare before the closing date of my case -due to my error. Also, Michael was right up front in our initial contact with his fees.
Due to the Covid-pandemic, we communicated through e-mails -including him taking correspondence...
Mr Jordan came into my disability fight with patience and kindness. He turned my situation around when I was being taken advantage of. He is very knowledgeable and knew exactly how to execute a plan to my benefit. He did exactly what he said he would do, and that is... Win! Thank you Michael Jordan. Much Appreciated!!
Great lawyer to represent you with legal matters. Michael answered the phone personally and listened to my initial concern. He then set up a meeting face to face (prior to COVID) and the rest was history. He is very professional and understanding. Michael was able to get me settlement and get the insurance company to pay.
I would strongly recommend Mike to represent you in a legal action. He is by far an excellent lawyer. Not only is he by far outstanding when it comes to the law but he knows how to handle your case from start to finish and win your case! He is the staple example of what a lawyer should be (has integrity, compassionate, honest, trustworthy,...
I strongly recommend Michael Jordan services as he displayed a high level of integrity. Michael proved to be responsive, knowledgeable, and professional with a high degree of emotional intelligence. My stress level was lessened with his attendance, support and knowledge of my case and situation. Retaining his services was the best thing I could...
Michael helped me with my STD and LTD case as my Insurance company denied all my applications from the beginning. His insight, dedication and professionalism has helped reach the agreement. I highly recommend him because whether it is your first time with a lawyer or not you will be treated like a known customer you will surely get help and...
Strongly recommend. Michael Jordan is professional, detailed and articulate. He can explain complicated issues and has the ability to translate them into a simple understandable terminology. My family was devastated when my LTD claim was denied. Michael defended my position and pursued the incident relentlessly. My very stressful situation...
Michael is one of the kindest and most caring lawyers. He was so patient with me and extremely attentive. Any time I had a question or concern, he would assure me that everything was going to be okay. During this difficult time as it is, he was able to continue with a mediation with ease and was able to have my case resolved to my utmost...
I was diagnosed with a chronic illness which made it impossible for me to do my daily responsibility of my workplace as well not including all my doctors and specialist appointments. I applied for my long-term disability that was provided by my workplace benefits. Unfortunately I was denied even with all the doctor's medical documents to...
When my family member was off of work and dealing with long term disability she went to Michael and was very pleased with his honesty, professionalism and candor. He worked hard and achieved a very positive result.
I am a lawyer and I have recommended Michael to many people because of the above-noted qualities.
QUADRIPLEGIA
$1,950,000
Our client sustained serious injuries in a motor vehicle accident. She advanced claims against her insurance company for income replacement benefits, medical expenses, and cost of care. The claim settled for close to $2 Million dollars.
BIPOLAR DISORDER
$575,000
Our client was a successful business person. When his long term disability claim was denied, he retained Michael Jordan to take legal action against the LTD insurer. Expert medical evidence that was instrumental in resolving the case.
DEPRESSION
$400,000
Our client was unable to work due to debilitating depression and anxiety. The disability insurer denied the claim, but when faced with litigation, a settlement was achieved allowing the client to focus on his recovery.
CANCER
$400,000
Our client was diagnosed with life threatening cancer, which resulted in a severe psychiatric response. The claim was denied based on an exclusion in the policy. The exclusion, however, was poorly drafted and the case quickly settled.
LONG COVID
$275,000
Brain fog, fatigue, and inability to focus and concentrate were the main symptoms. The LTD insurer denied the claim due to lack of "objective medical evidence", even though there was no requirement in the policy to provide objective evidence, and the nature of the impairments were inherently subjective. The case settled after litigation was commenced.
PSYCHOSIS
$270,000
The claim was denied because our client was not participating in appropriate treatment, but his mistaken belief that he did not need treatment was a symptom of his disability. An expert psychiatrist was retained to provide opinion evidence that the failure to participate in treatment was a symptom of the underlying illness. The case quickly settled.
CANCER
$267,000
Our client had surgery to remove the tumour, but was left with severe chronic pain and anxiety. An opinion from an expert oncologist supported disability and a fair settlement soon followed.
VERTIGO AND NAUSEA
$255,000
The long term disability insurer did not believe our client’s self reported symptoms. During the litigation, extensive medical records and reports were obtained that supported disability.
CHRONIC FATIGUE
$250,000
The claim was denied because there was no medical explanation for the sudden onset of chronic fatigue syndrome. Two expert reports were secured, and the case settled at mediation.
ANXIETY
$250,000
Our client suffered from severe anxiety that made work impossible. Despite this, her LTD claim was denied. It settled shortly after a lawsuit was commenced.
CHRONIC PAIN
$250,000
Our client was involved in a motor vehicle accident many years ago. He continued to suffer chronic pain, but the LTD insurer denied his claim. Expert opinion evidence helped secure the settlement.
MIGRAINE HEADACHES
$240,000
The insurance company denied the claim after the two year “own occupation” test of disability changed to “any occupation”. Evidence was secured that the client could not work in any job, and the case resolved.
Previous results are not necessarily indicative of future results. Contact Michael Jordan, long term disability lawyer, for an assessment of your claim.
At Micheal Jordan, we specialize in helping people whose life insurance claims have been denied. If you find yourself in this situation, we have a team of experienced life insurance claims lawyers who can help you potentially get the denial overturned and receive the compensation you deserve.
When you come to us with a denied claim, one of our lawyers will review your case to determine whether the denial was justified or not. If we find that the denial was wrongful, we'll help you file an appeal or take legal action against the insurance company to fight for your rights and ensure that you receive the benefits you're entitled to.
We understand that dealing with a denied life insurance claim can be a stressful and challenging experience, which is why we're here to provide you with the legal support you need to navigate the process. With our help, you can increase your chances of success and get the outcome you deserve.
For a variety of reasons, life insurance claims may be rejected, including:
Non-disclosure or misrepresentation of Information: The claim may be rejected if the policyholder failed to disclose or gave false information, such as pre-existing medical conditions or hazardous occupations when applying for the policy. Suicide or criminal activity: Most life insurance policies have a provision that prevents benefits from being paid out if the insured dies as a result of suicide or criminal activity.
Failure to pay premiums on time: If the policyholder didn't pay their premiums on time, the policy might have expired and the claim might be rejected.
Exclusions from coverage: Some policies do not cover specific types of fatalities, such as those brought on by terrorism, war, or hazardous sports. Unreliable beneficiary information: If the beneficiary information is unreliable or out-of-date, it could delay or even prevent the claim from being paid. Fraud: The claim may be rejected if the policyholder or beneficiary submitted fictitious information or made false claims.
Review the policy and comprehend its terms and provisions to prevent any misunderstandings or problems when making a claim.
The main responsibilities of a lawyer are to uphold the law and defend a client's rights. Lawyers provide legal counsel, conduct research, gather evidence or information, draught court motions and other legal papers related to contracts, divorces, or real estate transactions, and represent clients in court.
A life insurance payout typically takes 14 to 60 days to arrive. Cause of death, beneficiary status, and incomplete paperwork are all factors that can delay the payment. Before completing a payout, the life insurance company occasionally requires more details.
With some term life insurance plans, you can get your money back. They exist. Certain term insurance policies only provide death benefits. Other term insurance plans, on the other hand, let you get your premiums back after the policy matures.
You won't have coverage if you cancel your life insurance policy. Like other types of insurance like health insurance and car insurance, you won't get your money back because you already paid for coverage.
Michael Jordan
Jordan Honickman Barristers
Direct Cell: 416-460-6823
Email: mjordan@jhbarristers.com
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