Suing your insurance company – the basic steps.
We know that the decision to sue your insurer is not one you have taken lightly. If you are considering legal action, it is likely because you have tried everything in your power to get your long-term disability benefits, but the insurance company continues to deny your claim. The first step to successfully appealing the insurance company’s decision is to find an experienced insurance denial lawyer with a track record of success fighting against your insurance company. It is critical to do this as soon as you are denied by the insurance company so you do not miss any important deadlines. At...
read moreDoes life insurance cover suicide?
Life insurance normally pays out in cases of suicide, unless it happens during a particular exclusionary window laid out in the policy. Life insurance provides a financial safety net that can last for decades. One concern that some insurance shoppers have is that an insurance company won’t pay the death benefit if the policyholder dies. This is typically unfounded, as life insurance policies almost always pay out; there are even protections in place if a carrier goes bankrupt. But are there scenarios where life insurance won’t pay out? For example, does life insurance cover suicide?...
read moreInsurance Bad Faith
Insurance policies are sold on the basis they pay claims for an unanticipated event that results in a loss. This can include claims arising from damage to property and under disability and life insurance policies. When something goes wrong resulting in a claim, the insurance policy sets out the terms of coverage. If covered, the insured is compensated for the loss. While this process can go very smoothly without problems, sometimes insurance companies take the position your claim is not covered and deny coverage for the claim. Not only can that decision can be wrong and unfair, it can result...
read moreInsurer ordered to produce internal documents.
On April 29, 2019 the Nova Scotia Supreme Court ordered an insurance company to produce its policies, procedures, guidelines and internal documents concerning how an accident benefits claim was handled in a bad faith action. In Malloy v. Intact Insurance Co., [2019] N.S.J. No. 170, 2019 NSSC 131, Shauna Malloy was injured in a motor vehicle accident. Ms. Malloy’s insurance company, Intact, accepted the claim for accident benefits, but denied reimbursement for a medical procedure. Ms. Malloy sued alleging bad faith and sought an order that Intact produce its policies, procedures,...
read moreManulife’s human right’s violation costs employer.
On March 19, 2019, the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario found that Manulife’s handling of a disability claim was “significantly flawed” (para. 36), amounting to a breach of Marianne Knight’s human rights. The Tribunal found that the employer, Surrey Place Centre, “delegated” it’s responsibilities to Manulife. Since Manulife was acting as the legal agent of the employer, it was the employer who was made to pay for Manulife’s conduct. In Knight v. Surrey Place Centre, 2019 HRTO 482, the medical evidence showed that Ms. Knight was...
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