Life Insurance Lawyer Georgia
Denied Life Insurance Claim in Georgia? You’re Not Alone.
In Georgia, it’s not unusual for insurers to withhold life insurance
payouts by pointing to technicalities or vague policy terms. If you're
dealing with a
life insurance payout denial in Georgia, The Lassen Law Firm can help you challenge the insurer’s decision
and recover the benefits you’re entitled to.
In Georgia, life insurance beneficiary disputes can become complex when there are conflicting claims, outdated designations, or questions about the policyholder’s intent. If you're involved in a life insurance beneficiary dispute in Georgia, The Lassen Law Firm is ready to protect your interests and help resolve the matter fairly.
In Georgia, life insurance companies may file an interpleader action in Georgia when they receive conflicting beneficiary claims, shifting the decision to the court while avoiding direct liability.
Trusted Life Insurance Lawyers Georgia: The Lassen Law Firm
Life insurance claims in Georgia can become complex, especially when dealing with denied payouts or bad faith practices. At The Lassen Law Firm, we proudly serve clients across the Peach State, offering trusted guidance and expert legal support. From Atlanta to Savannah, Augusta to Columbus, and everywhere in between, we are here to help Georgians secure the benefits they deserve.
As experienced life insurance attorneys handling cases nationwide, our results speak for themselves—with hundreds of millions in policies recovered. At The Lassen Law Firm, we combine unmatched dedication, knowledge, and personalized attention to ensure your rights are protected. Call now for a free consultation to see if we can help you recover your life insurance benefits. No obligation.
Unlike other firms, The Lassen Law Firm exclusively handles denied life insurance claims. With 24 years of experience in this niche, we are recognized as top experts in the field. Our lawyers have earned prestigious awards, including membership in the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum and a 10.0 rating on AVVO. No other firm offers the same level of dedication and expertise in denied life insurance cases.
Fighting Life Insurance Denials in Georgia to Protect Families
When a life insurance company denies a claim, it can leave a grieving family in financial turmoil. In Georgia, beneficiaries are often blindsided by unexpected denials, complex policy language, or demands for additional documentation. If your life insurance claim has been delayed, reduced, or denied altogether, you are not alone — and you have legal options. Our Georgia life insurance attorneys help beneficiaries fight back and recover the full benefits owed to them under the law.
Insurance companies frequently prioritize their own profits over the promises made to policyholders. They may comb through applications looking for technicalities, misapply exclusions, or wrongfully allege that coverage lapsed. Having an experienced advocate on your side can make the difference between a denied claim and a full recovery. We offer free consultations and handle life insurance disputes on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing unless we win.
The Role of the Contestability Period in Georgia Life Insurance Claims
Life insurance policies issued in Georgia usually include a two-year contestability period. During this time, insurers can investigate claims closely and rescind policies if they uncover material misstatements made during the application process. After the contestability period expires, insurers must honor the policy unless they can prove fraud.
A key point: not every mistake on an application justifies denial. Only material misrepresentations — those that would have influenced the insurer’s decision to issue the policy or determine its terms — are grounds for rescinding coverage. Minor errors or irrelevant omissions typically cannot be used to deny benefits under Georgia law.
If your claim was denied based on contestability issues, it’s essential to work with an attorney who can hold the insurer accountable to the true standards imposed by Georgia law.
Common Reasons Life Insurance Claims Are Denied in Georgia
Insurers often cite a wide range of reasons for denying life insurance claims. In Georgia, the most common grounds include:
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Application Misstatements: If the insurer believes the insured misrepresented medical history, financial status, or lifestyle habits, they may attempt to void the policy.
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Missed Premium Payments and Policy Lapses: Insurers argue that a lapse has occurred due to nonpayment, but Georgia law requires that they provide proper notice before canceling coverage.
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Excluded Causes of Death: Policies may exclude deaths from certain activities such as aviation accidents, risky hobbies, or suicide within a specific period.
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Beneficiary Disputes: If multiple people claim to be the rightful beneficiary, insurers may delay payments or file an interpleader lawsuit.
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Employer Errors with Group Life Insurance Plans: Mistakes made during enrollment or administration can leave families without expected group coverage.
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Deaths Under Investigation: Suspicious deaths or criminal investigations often result in lengthy delays as insurers await law enforcement conclusions.
Insurance companies use these reasons to justify denials, but often the denials do not meet legal standards — and can be successfully challenged with the right legal strategy.
What Steps to Take After a Life Insurance Denial in Georgia
Responding quickly to a life insurance denial can protect your rights and improve your chances of success. Here’s what you should do if your claim has been rejected:
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Request a complete copy of the policy, including all endorsements and the application.
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Review the denial letter carefully to understand the insurer’s reasoning.
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Save all communications with the insurer, including emails, letters, and phone call summaries.
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Do not submit new documents or statements without consulting an attorney.
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Contact a Georgia life insurance lawyer immediately to evaluate your case and discuss your options.
In many cases, insurers hope that beneficiaries will accept denials without a fight. Acting swiftly and strategically can prevent the insurer from gaining the upper hand.
How Our Georgia Life Insurance Attorneys Help Families Recover Benefits
At our firm, we focus on protecting beneficiaries when insurance companies fail to live up to their promises. When you trust us with your case, we will:
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Conduct a thorough review of the policy and the insurer’s stated reasons for denial.
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Investigate whether the insurer violated Georgia’s insurance laws or acted in bad faith.
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Develop a strong legal strategy tailored to the unique facts of your case.
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Handle all negotiations with the insurance company, sparing you the stress.
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File appeals or lawsuits when insurers refuse to honor their obligations.
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Pursue additional damages if the insurer’s conduct meets the standards for bad faith under Georgia law.
We understand how critical life insurance benefits are to surviving family members. Our mission is to recover the full value of the policy for you as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Georgia Denied Life Insurance Claims: Answers to Common Questions
My Georgia life insurance claim was denied—what should I do?
Contact a Georgia life insurance attorney immediately. For instance, we recently reversed a denial where an insurer incorrectly blamed the death on an excluded health condition that wasn’t even listed in the application.
I was served with a life insurance interpleader in Georgia—how do I respond?
You must file a legal response. In one case, we defended a beneficiary whose late spouse’s ex-wife tried to claim the entire payout during an interpleader action.
I'm dealing with a beneficiary dispute in Georgia. Can I fight for my rightful share?
Yes. We recently helped a daughter recover the full benefit after an estranged sibling tried to enforce a suspicious last-minute beneficiary change.
Why do accidental death and dismemberment claims often get denied in Georgia?
Insurers often reclassify accidental deaths as natural causes. We fought a case where a fatal fall was blamed on heart disease, but forensic evidence proved it was a true accident.
Can a policy lapse result in a denied life insurance claim in Georgia?
Yes, but it’s challengeable. We recovered benefits for a family after proving the insurer never sent the required lapse warning notice under Georgia law.
What if the insurance company claims there was misrepresentation on the life insurance application?
They must prove it was intentional and material. In one case, a claim was denied over an outdated prescription history that had nothing to do with the insured’s death—and we got it overturned.
Can insurers in Georgia use an alcohol exclusion to deny a claim?
Sometimes, but exclusions must be clear and applicable. We forced payment on a claim where the insurer tried to deny benefits after a car accident simply because the deceased had alcohol in their system—even though alcohol wasn’t the cause of death.
What should I do about a denied ERISA group life insurance claim in Georgia?
Hire a lawyer immediately. In one ERISA case, we overturned a denial by submitting a detailed appeal backed by medical expert reports before litigation was necessary.
My claim was denied because it was within the contestability period—can I fight that?
Yes. We beat a contestability denial after proving the alleged misrepresentation (an old minor surgery) had no connection to the cause of death.
The insurer says my claim is invalid due to Georgia state law—what does that mean?
It may not mean anything. We’ve exposed insurers who cited outdated or irrelevant Georgia laws to deny claims unfairly—and recovered full benefits.
Which life insurance companies deny the most claims in Georgia?
Companies like Aflac, Primerica, and Southern Mutual often appear in denial cases. We've successfully challenged wrongful denials from all three.
Does Georgia revoke a former spouse’s beneficiary rights after a divorce?
Yes. We helped a client invalidate a claim made by an ex-spouse after showing that the policyholder never reaffirmed the designation post-divorce.
Is Georgia a community property state, and does it affect life insurance?
No, but we recently used marital property arguments to secure a payout for a widow whose deceased husband’s policy premiums had been paid from joint funds.
Can a will override the life insurance beneficiary designation in Georgia?
No. In one case, a family member tried to argue that a handwritten will superseded the policy, but the court upheld the original beneficiary designation.
What happens if the policyholder died outside the United States?
We recently overturned a denial where an insurer tried to block a claim because the insured died while on vacation in Europe—there was no valid exclusion in the policy.
The beneficiary was changed just before the insured passed away—can that be disputed?
Yes. We successfully challenged a last-minute change made while the insured was hospitalized and heavily medicated.
How long is too long for a life insurance company to take in Georgia?
If a valid claim drags beyond 60 days without a reason, it may be bad faith. We secured both the death benefit and additional damages in a case where payment was delayed for nearly nine months.
Why would an accidental death claim be denied when it clearly wasn’t natural causes?
We beat a denial where an insurer labeled a workplace injury as a "health event" to avoid paying. Medical experts proved it was a traumatic accidental death.
Can an insurance agent’s mistake on the application result in a denial?
It shouldn’t. We recovered benefits when an agent’s errors about prescription medications were blamed on the policyholder, despite clear evidence the agent was at fault.
Can I file a bad faith lawsuit in Georgia over a denied claim?
Yes. We successfully sued a major insurer that denied a claim without proper investigation—and won punitive damages for bad faith practices.
How long does a suicide exclusion last in a Georgia life insurance policy?
Typically two years. We reversed a denial after showing that the suicide exclusion had expired before the insured’s death.
Are employer group life insurance policies in Georgia covered by ERISA?
Yes. We won an ERISA case where the insurer improperly denied a claim by misinterpreting a minor clerical error on the beneficiary form.
Can a claim be denied because of an undisclosed health condition?
Only if it’s material. We overturned a denial where the insurer cited an old sports injury that had no link to the insured’s cause of death.
What if there was no beneficiary listed on the life insurance policy?
The proceeds usually go to the estate. We helped a family claim benefits through Georgia’s probate court after no beneficiary was designated.
Can a forged beneficiary change be reversed?
Yes. We recently invalidated a change after handwriting experts proved a fraudulent signature had been submitted near the time of death.
Can the insurer cancel a policy in Georgia without proper notice?
No. We forced payment on a claim where the insurer never mailed the legally required notice of cancellation to the insured’s last known address.
What if the life insurance was issued through a union or professional association in Georgia?
Union life insurance has special rules. We recently won a dispute involving a police officer’s group policy that had been wrongly denied on a technicality.
Can I still receive my portion of the benefit if I’m a co-beneficiary?
Yes. We helped a client recover their half-share after the other co-beneficiary tried to claim the entire payout through false statements.
The insured disappeared and was declared dead in Georgia—can I file a claim?
Yes. We assisted a family in recovering life insurance proceeds after obtaining a legal presumption of death for a missing person.
Can I still appeal a denial if several months have passed?
Sometimes. We reopened a denied claim five months after initial rejection by arguing the insurer failed to provide adequate denial notice under Georgia law.
Are life insurance payouts protected from creditors in Georgia?
Generally, yes. We protected a payout from being seized during a creditor’s attempt to access estate funds when the beneficiary was properly named.
Can unclear policy terms be used to justify a denial?
No. We forced a payout after showing that vague policy wording had to be interpreted in favor of the insured under Georgia insurance law.
What if the policy lapsed and the insurer didn’t provide notice?
We reinstated a canceled policy after proving that the insurer violated Georgia’s notice requirements for pending lapse and cancellation.
Can a minor child be a life insurance beneficiary in Georgia?
Yes, but a guardian may be needed. We helped a grandmother secure guardianship to manage her grandchild’s inherited life insurance payout.
What happens when multiple people claim the insured made them promises?
Only the named beneficiary counts. We defeated multiple claims by acquaintances who alleged verbal promises without any supporting legal documents.
Can a claim be denied if the insured died during illegal activity?
Possibly, but the insurer must prove it. We overturned a denial where the alleged "illegal act" wasn’t proven to have caused or contributed to the death.
How long do I have to appeal or challenge a denied life insurance claim in Georgia?
Timelines vary, but for ERISA plans it’s often just 180 days. We recommend contacting a Georgia life insurance attorney immediately upon denial to protect your rights.
2025 Georgia Denied Life Insurance Claims: settlements & verdicts
Below are examples of Georgia life insurance claims successfully resolved.
- Amalgamated Life COVID-19 denial $219,000.00
- TIAA CREF coronavirus exclusion $103,500.00
- Employee Life insurance termination $152,000.00
- Georgia denied life insurance claim $1,100,00.00
- Denied Life insurance claim Georgia $440,000.00
- Denied SGLI claim beneficiary change $405,200.00
- Accidental Death & Dismemberment $780,000.00
- American General autoerotic asphyxiation $303,000.00
- NTA life lapse of policy premiums $12,000.00
- Mutual Savings Life suicide exclusion $40,000.00
- National Life Group interpleader $130,000.00
- VGLI competing beneficiaries $402.420.00
- Haven Life felony exclusion $25,000.00
- Bestow Life coronavirus denial $46,000.00
- TruStage Life lapse of policy $30,000.00
- Permanent Life sickness exclusion $178,000.00
- Georgia denial of life insurance claim $520,000.00
- AFLAC life insurance denial won $29,000.00
- Ladder Life prescription drug rejected $101,490.00
- Ethos Life lapse of payment we won $50,000.00
- CUNA Mutual Life alcohol exclusion $20,000.00
- Denied FEGLI claim dispute wife and ex-wife $118,000.00
- Georgia interpleader lawsuit resolved $306,000.00
- First National Life COVID-19 denial won $103,500.00
- Transamerica denied suicide exclusion $237,200.00
- Greater Georgia misrepresentation application $303,850.00
- FEGLI appeal of life benefits resolved $114,000.00
- Security Life drug exclusion opioids $108,300.00
- Banner Life exclusion for alcohol $174,000.00
- Denied FEGLI claim resolved quickly $138,000.00
- Savannah competing beneficiaries $3,500,00.00
- Atlantic American Life sickness exclusion $190,000.00
- American Family divorce settled $218,500.00
- Villanova Life long delay of benefits $220,000.00
- Georgia denied life insurance claim $750,000.00
- Macon mistake of age on application $319,000.00
- Prudential AD&D denial of benefits $504,000.00
- Met LIfe accidental death denial $320,000.00
- Denied SGLI claim resolution dispute $402,000.00
- iA Financial Life delay of benefits $22,000.00
- Sandy Springs divorce settlement $450,000.00
- Bad faith life insurance claim denial $768,000.00
- Augusta long delay medical records $635,000.00
- Reliance interpleader resolution $257,000.00
- AIG lapse while in nursing home $211,400.00
- Denied AD&D claim resolved 1 week $520,000.00
- Lincoln Financial felony exclusion $101,350.00
- Marietta denial of life benefits won $150,000.00
- Athens contestable period records $620,000.00
- Denied life insurance claim Georgia $538,112.00
- Union Fidelity delay contestable $156,000.00
- USAA change of beneficiary $375,000.00
- South Farm Bureau suicide exclusion $141,900.00
- Atlanta beneficiary contest by son $507,000.00
- Guardian autoerotic asphyxiation $113,600.00
Every denied claim is unique. In Georgia, we know how to maximize your chance of recovering the full life insurance payout.
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Legal References – Georgia
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Georgia Contestability Clause Law: Under O.C.G.A. § 33-25-3, life insurance policies in Georgia become incontestable after being in force for two years from the date of issue, except for nonpayment of premiums. During the contestability period, insurers may deny claims based on material misrepresentations made in the policy application.
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Automatic Revocation of Ex-Spouse Beneficiaries: According to O.C.G.A. § 33-25-13, a divorce automatically revokes a former spouse’s designation as a beneficiary on a life insurance policy, unless the policyholder reaffirmed the designation after the divorce or the policy expressly states otherwise.
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Community Property Laws: Georgia is not a community property state, meaning a surviving spouse is not automatically entitled to life insurance proceeds unless specifically named as a beneficiary or granted rights through legal proceedings or agreements.
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ERISA & Group Policies: Employer-provided life insurance policies governed by ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974) may override Georgia’s automatic revocation statute or other state laws, particularly in disputes involving beneficiary designations or former spouses.
For more information on insurance regulations and consumer protections in Georgia, you can visit the Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner or explore nationwide insurance resources through the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).
The Lassen Law Firm is a national practice focused exclusively on life insurance litigation. Founded by Christian Lassen, Esq., the firm has recovered hundreds of millions for clients in all 50 states. All website content is written or reviewed by Mr. Lassen personally to ensure accuracy and authority.