As part of the life insurance and accidental death policy application process, the insured is required to designate who will be paid the proceeds of the policy. That person or person(s) are called the beneficiary or beneficiaries.

If the insured died in an accident, the beneficiary of the life and/or accidental death policy will file a claim with the insurance company. An adjuster or claims examiner will be assigned to the claim who will collect documents such as:

• Accident reports,
• Statements from any witnesses,
• Medical reports from both before and after the accident, including operative records,
• Prescription records from both before and after the accident,
• Toxicology reports,
• Coroner’s reports, and a
• Death certificate.

From the moment a claim is filed, the insurance company is looking for ways to delay or deny a claim. They are in the business of collecting premium and not in the business of paying claims. They have teams of medical and legal professionals to create claims denials or minimize how much the insurance company pays.

Many unwitting mistakes can be made that can destroy a claim from the very beginning. A beneficiary should hire a life insurance attorney before filing a claim to avoid delay or the denial of a claim.