You may be able to but it isn't very likely.
In Virginia (and in most, if not all, states) there is an insurance bureau (http://www.scc.virginia.gov/division/boi/) to which you can file a complaint if you feel your claim was wrongly denied. Theoretically, they provide some regulation of the insurance industry and protect consumers to some extent.
yes
It depends on why they didn't pay the claim. If you have the coverage and followed the requirements, like making a police report, cooperating with the insurance company as well as the police then you should have no problem with a claim, if it was in fact a theft. Otherwise you can always sue the company or file a complaint with your state department of insurance if you feel you were denied coverage you paid for.
When applying for life insurance you need to always answer the applications correctly and honestly or a claim may be denied. If you purchase new life insurance you do not need to go back to your already in force insurance company and advise them.
A claim is a liability on part of the insurance company. If a customer makes a claim it means that the insurance company has to pay the customer for the amount is eligible to claim and hence it is a expenditure on the balance sheets of the insurance company.
If they denied that claim for cause, such as fraud, then there is nothing you can do. If they did not have cause, you can try contacting the department of insurance in your state. That is of course, as long as you had comphrensive coverage on the policy. If you did not have coverage, they do not have to pay for anything.
That's not very likely. The insurance company does not file your claim, they accept your claim notice from you. You have to file your claim with the company, not the other way around.
Under normal circumstances, no. A life insurance company will pay the proceeds to the named beneficiary.
An insurance denial attorney will fight for you, should your claim be denied by your insurance carrier.
Usually in a bad faith insurance claim the insurance company is in the wrong. A bad faith claim is when an insurance company fails to pay out what was promised on the claim. More than likely you could sue the insurance company and have a chance at winning your case.
If you want to be sure your claim gets paid, and not denied, get the death certificate before you send anything to the insurance company. Many times we see death certificates that state causes of death, such as "head trauma...due to intoxication", that are not accurate but will certainly get the claim denied. If you get the death certificate first you can deal with any issues of improper reporting. I work at the Center for Life Insurance Disputes and we help clients collect death benefits.
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