Life Insurance Lawyer Kansas

Denied Life Insurance Claim in Kansas? You’re Not Alone.


It’s not uncommon for life insurance companies in Kansas to deny claims on questionable grounds, creating unnecessary hardship for grieving families. If you're facing a life insurance benefit denial in Kansas, The Lassen Law Firm is prepared to fight for the compensation you're entitled to receive.

Life insurance beneficiary disputes in Kansas can lead to lengthy legal battles, especially when policy changes are made under questionable circumstances. If you're involved in a life insurance beneficiary dispute in Kansas, The Lassen Law Firm is ready to help you resolve the issue and secure the benefits you deserve.

In Kansas, life insurance companies may respond to contested claims by filing an interpleader action in Kansas, asking the court to determine the rightful beneficiary and resolve the dispute.

Experienced Life Insurance Lawyers Kansas: The Lassen Law Firm

Life insurance claims in Kansas can be tough to navigate, especially when dealing with denied payouts or bad faith insurance practices. At The Lassen Law Firm, we’re here to help residents of the Sunflower State recover the benefits they deserve. Our Kansas life insurance lawyers serve clients across the state, including Wichita, Overland Park, Kansas City KS, Olathe, and Topeka.

As life insurance lawyers handling cases across all 50 states, we’ve recovered hundreds of millions in policies for our clients. At The Lassen Law Firm, we combine expertise, dedication, and personalized attention to ensure justice for every client. 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.

Life Insurance Denied in Kansas? We’ll Help You Fight Back

Life insurance is meant to protect families during the hardest times. When an insurance company refuses to honor that promise, it can cause financial and emotional stress. In Kansas, many beneficiaries experience wrongful denials, unnecessary delays, or underpayment of life insurance claims. If you are facing challenges collecting life insurance proceeds, our Kansas life insurance attorneys are ready to step in and demand the benefits you’re owed.

Insurance companies are skilled at justifying their decisions. They may claim technical errors, policy exclusions, or alleged misrepresentations to avoid paying. But under Kansas law, you have the right to challenge an unfair denial. Our team offers free consultations, and we only collect fees if we successfully recover benefits for you.

Contestability Period and Life Insurance Disputes in Kansas

Kansas life insurance policies typically contain a two-year contestability period. During this period, insurers have greater freedom to contest claims based on alleged misstatements made during the application process. Once two years have passed, their ability to rescind the policy becomes very limited unless they can prove outright fraud.

Importantly, the mistake or omission must be material — meaning it would have changed the insurer’s decision to offer coverage or the terms of the policy. Under Kansas law, minor inaccuracies, misunderstandings, or unimportant omissions generally do not justify rescission or denial after death.

If your claim has been denied under the guise of a contestability review, it is critical to have an experienced attorney assess whether the insurer’s actions are legally sustainable.

Common Reasons Life Insurance Claims Are Denied in Kansas

Although every denial is unique, certain reasons tend to appear over and over. In Kansas, we often see denials based on:

  • Application Misstatements: Claims that the insured omitted or misstated medical history, prescriptions, or lifestyle habits.

  • Policy Lapse Due to Missed Payments: Insurers may claim the policy lapsed, but Kansas law requires clear, advance notice before a policy can be terminated.

  • Exclusions for Specific Causes of Death: Deaths from activities such as aviation, dangerous hobbies, suicide within the exclusion period, or illegal conduct may be denied based on the fine print of the policy.

  • Beneficiary Disputes: When multiple individuals claim the right to proceeds, insurers may delay payment or require court intervention.

  • Errors in Group Life Insurance Enrollment: Administrative mistakes by employers can unfairly strip beneficiaries of expected group coverage.

  • Criminal Investigations Delaying Payment: Insurers sometimes delay benefits when deaths are suspicious, but such delays must be reasonable and cannot continue indefinitely.

These reasons can sound intimidating, but a knowledgeable Kansas life insurance attorney can often break down the insurer’s arguments and push for full payment.

Immediate Steps to Take After a Life Insurance Claim Denial in Kansas

After receiving a denial, time is not on your side. Protect your rights by taking these actions:

  • Request the full insurance policy and application documents from the insurer.

  • Review the denial letter closely, documenting all stated reasons for nonpayment.

  • Keep all communication records, including emails, letters, and notes from phone calls.

  • Avoid sending additional statements or documents to the insurer without consulting an attorney.

  • Contact a Kansas life insurance lawyer as soon as possible to evaluate your next steps.

Strict deadlines may apply, especially if the life insurance policy was part of an employer-sponsored plan governed by ERISA.

How Our Kansas Life Insurance Attorneys Handle Denied Claims

Life insurance companies count on beneficiaries giving up — but with the right legal strategy, many denials can be successfully overturned. When you work with our firm, we will:

  • Review your policy, the denial, and all supporting documents in detail.

  • Challenge improper contestability rescissions and technical defenses.

  • Communicate directly with the insurance company so you don’t have to.

  • Prepare and file administrative appeals where necessary.

  • Initiate lawsuits against insurers who refuse to honor valid claims.

  • Pursue additional damages if the insurer’s conduct rises to the level of bad faith under Kansas law.

Our mission is simple: secure your rightful benefits efficiently, aggressively, and with the respect and attention your case deserves.

Kansas Denied Life Insurance Claims: Answers to Common Questions

What should I do if my life insurance claim was denied in Kansas?

Contact a Kansas life insurance attorney immediately. In one case, we helped a Wichita family recover benefits after the insurer wrongly claimed a minor paperwork mistake voided the policy.

I’ve been served with a life insurance interpleader lawsuit in Kansas—what now?

You must respond in court to protect your rights. We defended a Salina widow in an interpleader where an ex-spouse contested her rightful claim.

How can I resolve a life insurance beneficiary dispute in Kansas?

We resolve disputes between children, spouses, and partners. For example, we restored a rightful son’s claim in Topeka after a last-minute beneficiary change was contested.

What leads to denial of AD&D life insurance claims in Kansas?

Common excuses include blaming illness or alcohol. We reversed a denial for a Kansas City client after a fatal fall was wrongly labeled a “medical incident.”

Can a lapse in policy coverage result in a denied claim in Kansas?

Yes, but we challenge lapses often. In Overland Park, we reinstated coverage where a grace period was incorrectly calculated, allowing a grieving spouse to collect.

Can insurers in Kansas deny claims for alleged misrepresentation on the application?

Only if it was material and intentional. We proved a policyholder’s omission about minor asthma was irrelevant in a Hutchinson claim dispute.

Does an alcohol exclusion automatically void a life insurance claim in Kansas?

No. We fought and won a claim after an insurer cited alcohol without proving it caused the fatal boating accident in Lawrence.

My ERISA-based life insurance claim was denied in Kansas—what can I do?

Act immediately. In Manhattan, Kansas, we overturned a hospital employee’s denied ERISA claim by submitting new evidence in a carefully crafted appeal.

What happens if the death occurred during the policy’s contestability period?

Even during the first two years, denials require clear proof of fraud. We defeated a denial in Leavenworth involving an alleged undisclosed cholesterol issue.

Can a life insurance claim be denied based on Kansas state law?

Sometimes—but often insurers misinterpret the law. We successfully challenged a denial where the insurer wrongly applied Kansas’s slayer statute to a non-criminal case.

Which Kansas life insurance companies are known for denying claims?

We frequently challenge denials from Security Benefit Life, Kansas City Life Insurance Company, and Americo.

Does Kansas law revoke an ex-spouse’s beneficiary rights after divorce?

Yes. We resolved a case in Olathe where an ex-husband tried to claim benefits but was disqualified by Kansas's revocation statute.

Is Kansas a community property state, and how does that affect life insurance?

No. However, we’ve secured surviving spouse rights in Wichita cases where marital funds paid for the policy.

Can a life insurance will override the named beneficiary in Kansas?

No. In Emporia, we defended a daughter’s policy claim after a new spouse argued the will should control instead of the beneficiary form.

What if the death occurred outside of the United States?

Foreign deaths raise challenges, but we recently secured payment for a Lenexa family after a wrongful denial following a death in Italy.

How can I challenge a suspicious last-minute beneficiary change?

In Dodge City, we overturned a suspicious change made three weeks before death where clear evidence of mental incapacity existed.

My life insurance claim is being delayed—what are my options?

In Shawnee, we filed a bad faith lawsuit after a company delayed payment for over 120 days without good reason.

How do insurers reclassify accidental deaths to avoid payouts?

They often blame medical conditions. We used medical expert testimony to prove a fall accident was not “health-related” in a Johnson County claim.

What if the insurance agent made a mistake on the application?

We forced an insurer to pay in Pittsburg, Kansas after proving that the agent, not the insured, misrecorded medical history.

Can I sue for bad faith if the insurer acted unfairly in Kansas?

Yes. We secured additional damages for a claimant whose insurer in Hays unreasonably delayed and then denied a perfectly valid claim.

Do suicide exclusions apply indefinitely in Kansas?

No. We reversed a denial for a Garden City family after proving the policy was beyond the two-year suicide exclusion window.

Does ERISA govern life insurance through Kansas employers?

Yes. We handle ERISA-based claims daily across Kansas, including for teachers, hospital workers, and union employees.

Can a policy be voided due to an undisclosed health condition?

Only if intentional and material. We beat back a denial in Newton where the insurer tried to void coverage over an unrelated dental surgery.

What happens if no beneficiary is listed on the life insurance policy?

The payout goes to the estate. We helped an executor in Atchison navigate probate to collect a policy where no beneficiary was named.

Can you contest a forged or falsified beneficiary form in Kansas?

Absolutely. We invalidated a forged change favoring a distant relative in a case out of Parsons.

What if the insurer canceled the policy without proper notice?

In Independence, Kansas, we successfully reinstated a policy after showing the insurer failed to send required nonpayment notices.

Do union-sponsored life insurance policies have different rules?

They often do. We helped a Teamsters family in Kansas City secure benefits despite an insurer arguing different union policy rules.

What if I’m a co-beneficiary—can I still get my share?

Yes. We enforced a rightful 50% share for a co-beneficiary in McPherson after a dispute erupted with another claimant.

How do I file a claim if the insured disappeared but hasn’t been declared dead?

We helped a Salina family obtain a presumption of death court order, unlocking life insurance proceeds for a missing fisherman.

What deadlines apply to appeals of denied life insurance claims in Kansas?

ERISA claims typically have a 60-day appeal limit. Other policies vary. We advise contacting a lawyer immediately after a denial to avoid deadline traps.

Are life insurance payouts protected from creditors in Kansas?

Yes, if there’s a named beneficiary. We defended a payout from creditors in a probate dispute in Great Bend.

Can vague or unclear policy language be used to deny a claim?

No. We overturned a denial based on an ambiguous “hazardous hobby” clause after a fatal recreational biking accident near Manhattan.

Can a lapsed policy still be paid if cancellation procedures weren’t followed?

Yes. We reversed a lapse denial for a family in Ottawa where notice and grace period laws weren’t followed.

Can a child be named as a life insurance beneficiary in Kansas?

Yes, but minors need guardianships or custodial accounts. We set up protections for a minor child receiving proceeds in Junction City.

What happens if multiple people say the insured promised them the payout?

Written beneficiary forms control. We successfully defended a written designation against multiple “verbal promise” claims in Dodge City.

Are deaths during illegal acts excluded from Kansas life insurance policies?

Sometimes, but only if clearly written. We won a case where a minor traffic violation was wrongly used to deny benefits.

Can a claim be reopened after it’s been denied in Kansas?

Yes. In Lawrence, we reopened a life insurance denial after uncovering suppressed evidence that supported the claim.

2025 Kansas Denied Life Insurance Claims: settlements & verdicts

Below are examples of Kansas life insurance claims successfully resolved.

  • Mass Shooting life insurance claim denied $109,490.00
  • Chase Life coronavirus exclusion $40,300.00
  • SGLI claim denied beneficiary dispute $405,638.00
  • AD&D claim denial alcohol exclusion $523,000.00
  • Sentinel Life prescription drug denial $25,000.00
  • Whole Life felony exclusion crime $31,000.00
  • Paul Revere Life material misrepresentation $14,000.00
  • Great Southern Life heart attack death $125,000.00
  • All American Life incontestability period $50,000.00
  • Puritan Life alcohol and drug exclusions $88,000.00
  • AVMA Life sickness exclusion resolved $52,000.00
  • Colonial sickness exclusion settlement $212,400.00
  • ERISA appeal successfully resolved $119,000.00
  • Globe commission of a felony exclusion $109,200.00
  • Mutual autoerotic asphyxiation death $305,600.00
  • Prudential accidental death AD&D $519,300.00
  • Topeka interpleader lawsuit resolved $1,000,000.00
  • Kansas divorce and life insurance case $750,000.00
  • Central United prescription drug overdose $312,750.00
  • Denied SGLI claim disputed beneficiary $403,230.00
  • Kansas foreign death claim resolved $802,000.00
  • Overland Park competing claimants case $405,000.00
  • Kansas denied life insurance claim $925,500.00
  • Denied FEGLI claim settled quickly $407,300.00
  • AAA alcohol exclusion vehicle death $116,000.00
  • Federal denial material misrepresentation $309,150.00
  • Transamerica self-inflicted injury exclusion $129,340.00
  • Lawrence policy less than two years old medical $504,000.00
  • Denied AD&D claim felony exclusion resolved $690,000.00
  • Kansas City divorce court orders settlement $815,000.00
  • Olathe allegation of fraud successfully resolved $202,000.00
  • AIG contestable period medical records $142,000.00
  • Baltimore Life denial of benefits paid to our client $280,000.00
  • State Farm foreign death problem resolved $158,000.00
  • North American lapse in nursing home $180,000.00
  • Shawnee long delay due to medical records $103,000.00
  • Atlantic American delay for two years we resolved $260,000.00
  • RiverSource 2 year contestable period resolved $107,000.00
  • Denied life insurance claim Kansas $1,350,000.00
  • Wichita mistake on the application $640,000.00
  • Guarantee Trust interpleader case $250,000.00
  • Kansas bad faith life insurance case $714,000.00
  • SGLI beneficiary dispute ex-wife $400,000.00

Every denied claim is unique. In Kansas, we know how to maximize your chance of recovering the full life insurance payout.

Legal References – Kansas

  • Kansas Contestability Clause Law: Under K.S.A. § 40-420(2), life insurance policies issued in Kansas must include a provision stating that the policy becomes incontestable after it has been in force during the lifetime of the insured for a period of not more than two years from its date, except for nonpayment of premiums and certain specified exceptions.

  • Automatic Revocation of Ex-Spouse Beneficiaries: According to K.S.A. § 59-105, effective July 1, 2019, the divorce or annulment of a marriage automatically revokes any revocable disposition or appointment of property made by a divorced individual to their former spouse in a governing instrument, which includes life insurance beneficiary designations, unless the policyholder reaffirms the designation after the divorce or the policy explicitly states otherwise. ​

  • Community Property Laws: Kansas is not a community property state. Life insurance proceeds are distributed according to the policy's beneficiary designation. A surviving spouse is not automatically entitled to the death benefit unless named as a beneficiary or granted rights through a court order or marital agreement.​

  • ERISA & Group Policies: Employer-provided life insurance policies governed by ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974) may preempt Kansas state laws in cases involving contested beneficiaries, including disputes with former spouses.

For more information on insurance regulations and consumer protections in Kansas, you can visit the Kansas Department of Insurance 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.