Losing someone you love is hard enough without having to fight for money they set aside specifically to support and protect you. Your loved one carried life insurance to provide you with financial stability right when you need it most. However, when an insurer denies a claim, delays it, or buries you in paperwork requests, it feels like the support your loved one put in place for you is in jeopardy. But dealing with life insurance shouldn’t be this difficult, and you do have options if unexpected problems arise.

Understanding why your claim might have gotten denied, what your rights are, and how the appeals process works can mean the difference between accepting a wrongful denial and securing the benefit you’re owed.

Fighting for the Payout You Deserve

Roberts Disability Law, P.C. represents beneficiaries and survivors whose life insurance claims have been wrongfully denied, delayed, or underpaid. Our attorneys focus almost exclusively on claims governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), the federal law that typically applies to life insurance policies offered through an employer’s benefit plan.

Attorney Michelle Roberts believes those battling large insurance companies deserve an advocate who knows the law inside and out and who won’t back down. That determination comes from personal experience. Michelle watched her father, a disabled Navy veteran, struggle to support his family while managing the fallout of debilitating medical conditions. That experience shaped her decision to spend her career representing people facing off with powerful institutions that have every incentive to deny, delay, or underpay a claim.

For over 20 years, our team has gone toe-to-toe with some of the largest insurance companies in the country, including MetLife, Prudential, Unum, Cigna, and The Hartford. We are a woman- and minority-owned firm, and we bring the same fight to every case, regardless of size.

Who We Serve

While every case has its own unique details, denials by life insurance companies tend to follow familiar patterns, such as:

• You expected benefits, and the insurer said no. You lost someone you love, filed a claim in good faith, and received a denial letter or an outright refusal to pay. You’re left wondering whether you can challenge the insurance company’s decision, and if so, how.
• Your claim has been sitting in limbo for months. You submitted everything the insurer requested, but they keep asking for more medical records, death certificates, or forms without delivering a decision. The delay itself starts to feel like a warning sign that a denial is coming.
• The insurer claims your loved one hid something on the application. The company says your loved one failed to disclose a medical condition, a treatment, or a medication when they applied for coverage and is using that alleged omission as a reason to withhold the benefit entirely.
• The insurer says the circumstances of the death void the policy. Whether it’s an alleged suicide, claims of illegal conduct, or another supposedly excluded circumstance, the company argues that how your loved one died means it doesn’t have to pay.
• You were told the policy had already lapsed. Missed premiums, a job change, medical leave, or a disability are being used to argue that coverage ended, even though you believed the policy was still active when your loved one passed away.

If any of these sound familiar, you are not alone, and you are not without options.

How the Process Works

Why Insurers Deny Life Insurance Claims

Insurance companies deny claims for many reasons, and not all of them hold up to scrutiny. Common tactics include:

• Alleging the insured died by suicide, which may trigger a policy exclusion depending on timing and policy language.
• Claiming the insured contributed to their own death through illegal or reckless conduct excluded under the policy.
• Asserting that the insured misrepresented a medical condition on the application and then pointing to records that appear to conflict with what was disclosed.
• Arguing the policy had lapsed due to missed premiums, a change in employment status, medical leave, or disability.

The Legal Framework: ERISA

ERISA is a federal law that governs most employer-sponsored life insurance policies. It dictates how claims must be reviewed, what deadlines apply, and what beneficiaries must do before they can file a lawsuit. ERISA claims involve a strict administrative appeal process, and the record you build during that appeal often determines the outcome of any later litigation. Missing a deadline or failing to submit the right evidence during the internal appeal can permanently limit your options in court.

Our Approach to Your Claim

Depending on the facts of your case, we may:

• Gather evidence showing the death was accidental rather than the result of suicide or excluded conduct.
• Challenge an insurer’s reliance on alleged misstatements by showing the policy was incontestable under California law or that any inaccuracy was not intentional.
• Point out that the insurer could have ordered its own medical exam during underwriting and simply failed to do so.
• Build a record demonstrating that the policy remained active despite the insurer’s claims of lapsed coverage.
• Negotiate directly with the insurer when the facts support a fair settlement or pursue litigation when they don’t.

One detail many families miss: if your loved one was receiving long-term disability benefits, they may have also qualified for a waiver of premium on their life insurance or AD&D policy. Reviewing the plan documents closely can reveal benefits you didn’t know existed.

Why Choose Roberts Disability Law, P.C.?

• Deep ERISA experience. Our attorneys concentrate on ERISA and insurance benefit claims, not a broad mix of unrelated practice areas, so we know how these policies and appeals actually work.
• A stellar track record against major insurers. We’ve taken on MetLife, Prudential, Unum, Cigna, Aetna, The Hartford, Liberty Mutual, and other major carriers on behalf of beneficiaries.
• A firm built on personal conviction. Michelle Roberts started her career committed to representing people facing powerful institutions, and that mission still drives every case we take.
• Free, no-obligation case reviews. You can find out where you stand before committing to anything.
• Recognition for results. Our work has been featured for excellence in disability and insurance litigation, and our reviews reflect a consistent pattern. Clients feel informed, supported, and represented by a team that fights for them.
• Woman- and minority-owned. We understand what it means to be underestimated, and we bring that perspective to every fight against an insurance company that assumes you’ll give up.

Get the Benefits Your Loved One Intended for You

A denied or delayed life insurance claim is not necessarily the end of the story. Insurance companies deny claims every day that they should be paying, often betting that beneficiaries won’t push back. Roberts Disability Law, P.C. exists to push back for you.

Schedule a free consultation today and find out what your denied, delayed, or disputed life insurance claim really means for your next steps.

Frequently Asked Questions