One of the things critics of the insurance industry sometimes overlook is that most insurance companies are businesses, not charitable organizations. That means insurers have to answer to shareholders, and shareholders want their investments to grow. Insurance companies provide a valuable service, even a social good, but they are just as subject to pressure to make a profit as the corner drugstore or Exxon Mobile Corp.
We are finishing up our discussion of the life insurance issues involved with the Susan Powell case. While none of this happened in Florida, the story touches on some interesting issues that could arise here as well.
Charles and Judy Cox must have mixed emotions as December 6 nears. That Saturday will mark the fifth anniversary of their daughter’s disappearance. It will also mark the end of that terrible waiting period that families must endure between a disappearance and an official declaration of death. The Coxes’ daughter, Susan Powell, may or may not have been murdered by her husband in 2009, and the state will finally acknowledge what so many have believed for a long time: She is not coming back.
One 83-year-old Florida mobile home owner found his homeowner’s insurance policy terminated just 10 days before the hurricane season was to begin. The homeowner was in a state of disbelief and depressed about his current circumstances. Fortunately, after inquiries were made the coverage was reinstated.
Many long-term-care insurance policies do pay out. However, according to attorneys and consumer advocates there are a number of circumstances when individuals will spend a substantial amount of time trying to collect upon these policies.
The tragedy of the Susan Powell case is almost unimaginable. The wife and mother of two disappeared in 2009. Her husband, Josh, was a suspect but was never charged. Not too long after Susan’s disappearance, Josh killed himself and the couple’s two sons.
We are discussing a court decision about life insurance policy payouts under unusual circumstances. Generally, the insurance company pays the beneficiary as soon as it learns of the insured’s death. If the company cannot locate the beneficiary, it retains the payout for a set period of time before turning it over to the state. Florida has been instrumental in holding life insurance companies’ feet to the fire, so to speak, to make sure they actively search for the beneficiary.
We are discussing a court decision involving the life insurance policies of a family in Washington state. No, the case did not come out of Florida, and let’s hope nothing like it ever does. The situation is both heartbreaking and mind-boggling.
When Miami businessman Ben Novack Jr. died, his estate was worth about $10 million. He left everything to his wife, Narcy, but five years later, family members are still arguing over the will and its validity. And, the estate is worth much less, according to court documents — as little as $4 million.
An interesting and sad case crossed our desk this week. It concerns a case from outside of Florida that turned on an insurance rule that applies wherever you are: If you abide by the terms of the policy, the insurance company will consider your claim. Otherwise, the insurance company can deny the claim, and every court from the Atlantic Coast to the Pacific Coast will find the denial reasonable.
