After John died in a tractor rollover on his farm, his widow decided to pursue a claim to collect on the life insurance policy her late husband had bought from the National Rifle Association 10 months before his death. The NRA is primarily considered an advocacy group for gun owners, but it also sells and endorses insurance policies for members. Read about reasons why life insurance won't pay
The NRA refused to pay the $150,000 death benefit, claiming that a rider on Balk's policy stated that it the NRA did not have to pay for "any death that is caused by or resulting from the operation of a motor vehicle while intoxicated." The legal argument was that the tractor wasn't a mv under the state law, and that the National Rifle Association cannot deny the claim. In an autopsy report, the doctor ruled his death accidental. The claim brought against the NRA maintained that the decedent was not driving down the road in a passenger vehicle, but was in his yard when the tractor rolled over on him and killed him. Under the applicable state law, people operating a farm tractor do not even need to have a driver's license to operate a tractor.
Life insurance claims may be denied or delayed for numerous reasons. Beneficiaries have a right to appeal the insurance company's denial and recover the death benefits owed to them. An experienced life insurance attorney can help a beneficiary whose claim was denied file a lawsuit against the insurance company and contest its decision. If your loved one passed away and you, as a beneficiary in his/her life insurance policy, are trying to collect life insurance payouts, our life insurance attorneys are here to help. We have helped tens of thousands of people recover millions of dollars in denied life insurance claims. If your claim has been denied or delayed, call our life insurance attorneys to speak with an experienced life insurance lawyer now.