Case Results
Kadetskaya Law Firm LLC has recovered millions of dollars for beneficiaries and policyowners whose life insurance claims were wrongfully denied or delayed. The results below represent a sample of our recoveries against major insurance companies and employers.
If your claim has been denied or delayed, call us at (888) 510-2212 for a free, confidential case evaluation.
Recovery Summary
- Millions recovered for clients nationwide
- Cases handled since 2012
- Hundreds of clients represented
- No fees unless we win
Featured Recoveries
$1,100,000 — Interpleader Action | Minnesota Life Insurance Company
Three parties claimed the right to the same life insurance death benefit following a last-minute beneficiary change. Minnesota Life filed an interpleader action and deposited the proceeds with the court. Our firm represented one of the claimants, built the legal and factual case for our client's entitlement, and negotiated a $1.1 million settlement. This case illustrates why acting quickly when an interpleader is filed is critical — delay can cost you everything.
$1,000,000 — Policy Lapse Denial | Four Beneficiaries
Four beneficiaries were denied death benefits after the insurer declared the policy lapsed due to non-payment of premiums. Our firm investigated the insurer's compliance with state lapse notice laws, identified failures in the required notice process, and recovered the full $1 million death benefit for all four beneficiaries. Insurance companies must follow strict legal procedures before declaring a policy lapsed — many lapse denials do not hold up under scrutiny.
$840,000 — Employer Liability | Failure to Send Conversion Notice
An employer failed to notify a terminated employee of their right to convert group life insurance coverage to an individual policy. When the employee later died without coverage, the beneficiary was left with nothing. Our firm pursued the employer directly for its failure to comply with its legal notification obligations and recovered $840,000. Employers have legal duties to departing employees — when they fail to meet them, they can be held liable.
Recovery from The Guardian — Contestability Investigation Delay
The Guardian delayed payment of a life insurance claim for months while conducting a contestability investigation, requesting years of medical records without justification. Our firm intervened, challenged the investigation as unreasonable, and recovered the full death benefit for our client. Insurers use contestability investigations as a delay tactic — our attorneys know how to stop them.
Example: Our Attorney Recovered from Lincoln National Life Insurance Company — Accidental Death | Alcohol Exclusion | Downed Stop Sign
Lincoln National denied an accidental death claim filed by the beneficiary of a group AD&D policy, relying on an alcohol exclusion and a misdemeanor exclusion after a postmortem toxicology report showed a blood alcohol level at the legal limit. Our investigation revealed several critical facts that dismantled Lincoln's denial entirely. First, Lincoln inserted an alcohol exclusion into its denial letter that did not exist anywhere in the actual group policy. Second, the police report stated multiple times that alcohol played no role in the accident. Third, a stop sign at the intersection where the accident occurred had been knocked down and was lying face-down at the time of the crash — creating a dangerous condition that any driver, regardless of sobriety, would have faced. Fourth, the postmortem toxicology report was taken two days after death from severely lacerated organs including the aorta and heart, making the BAC reading scientifically unreliable due to the well-documented risk of postmortem alcohol production through fermentation and contamination. We argued that Lincoln failed to establish the causation required by its own policy exclusion — that alcohol, not blunt force trauma from the semi truck collision, caused the death — and that the exclusion language was legally ambiguous under Sixth Circuit precedent. Lincoln paid the full accidental death benefit.
Example: Our Attorney Recovered from Lincoln National Life Insurance Company — Accidental Death | Misdemeanor Exclusion | Worn Tires and Exhaust Fumes
Lincoln National denied an accidental death claim after a beneficiary's spouse died when her vehicle rolled over and struck a concrete median while driving to work. Lincoln's entire basis for denial rested on a phone call from a state trooper who stated that, had the insured survived, she would have been issued a minor misdemeanor citation for failure to control her vehicle. Our challenge dismantled that denial on multiple grounds. First, a citation is not a conviction — Ohio law allows citations to be dismissed for insufficient evidence, and Lincoln had no basis to assume a citation would have resulted in a misdemeanor finding. Second, Ohio law recognizes a sudden emergency defense to traffic violations, and the record contained exactly such evidence: the police report documented excessively worn rear tires with tread measuring as low as 3/32 of an inch — far below the standard on a new tire of 11/32 — which are a documented leading cause of single-vehicle accidents. Third, the insured's husband provided an affidavit confirming the vehicle had a hole in the exhaust pipe for several weeks before the crash, creating a significant risk that carbon monoxide fumes entered the cabin and caused the insured to become dizzy and lose control. No witnesses observed the accident, no camera captured the rollover, and Lincoln produced no evidence that the insured's actions — rather than the vehicle's mechanical failures — caused the crash. We argued that Lincoln failed to carry its burden of proving causation under the misdemeanor exclusion and that it wrongfully assumed a speculative misdemeanor caused a death that the evidence attributed entirely to a dangerously defective vehicle. Lincoln paid the full accidental death benefit.
Recovery from Prudential — Accidental Death | Narcotic Exclusion
Prudential denied an accidental death claim after the insured, who had marijuana in his system, died in a motorcycle accident. Prudential applied the narcotic exclusion to deny the claim entirely. Our firm argued that marijuana did not cause the accident and that the exclusion did not legally apply. We recovered the full accidental death benefit for our client. The presence of a substance does not automatically justify denial — causation must be proven.
Recovery from Unum — Material Misrepresentation | Portability Application
Unum denied a life insurance claim alleging the insured made material misrepresentations on a portability application. Our firm reviewed the application, analyzed the legal standard for material misrepresentation, and successfully challenged Unum's denial on appeal. We recovered the full death benefit for our client.
Recovery from MetLife — Delayed Claim | Misrepresentation Investigation
MetLife delayed payment of a life insurance claim while investigating alleged misrepresentations on the application. Our firm challenged the investigation, demanded payment, and recovered the full benefit. MetLife's investigation was not legally sufficient to justify the delay.
Recovery from Standard Insurance Company — Beneficiary Dispute | Ex-Spouse
Standard Insurance filed an interpleader after an ex-spouse and a current family member both claimed the death benefit. Our firm represented the rightful beneficiary, presented the legal and factual basis for our client's claim, and recovered the full benefit from Standard.
Recovery from RiverSource Life Insurance Company — Ex-Spouse Denial
RiverSource denied a claim because the claimant was an ex-spouse of the insured. Our firm analyzed the applicable state revocation law, determined it did not apply in this case, and recovered the full death benefit for our client.
Recovery from North American Company — Lapsed Policy | Non-Payment
North American denied a claim declaring the policy lapsed due to non-payment of premiums. Our firm reviewed the insurer's compliance with lapse notice requirements, identified procedural failures, and recovered the full death benefit.
Recovery from American General Life Insurance Company — Lapsed Policy | Hospitalization
American General denied a claim on lapse grounds after the insured missed premium payments while hospitalized. Our firm argued the insurer failed to account for the insured's medical circumstances and failed to comply with applicable lapse notice requirements. We recovered the full benefit for the beneficiary.
Recovery from Broadspire/Federal Insurance Company — Accidental Death | Intoxication and Narcotic Exclusions
The insured, who had alcohol and drugs in her system, drowned in a hot tub. Broadspire denied the accidental death claim applying both the intoxication exclusion and the narcotic exclusion. Our firm challenged both exclusions, arguing the insurer failed to establish causation, and recovered the full accidental death benefit.
Recovery from CUNA — Accidental Death | Sickness Exclusion
CUNA denied an accidental death claim applying the sickness exclusion after the insured choked on food and died. Our firm challenged the application of the sickness exclusion, arguing the death was accidental and not caused by illness, and recovered the full benefit.
Recovery from Genworth — Policy Lapse Denial
Genworth denied a death benefit claim declaring the policy lapsed. Our firm investigated the circumstances of the lapse, identified failures in Genworth's notice process, and recovered the full benefit for our client.
Recovery from Protective — Lapsed Policy | Appeal
Protective denied a claim on lapse grounds. Our firm filed an administrative appeal, challenged the lapse determination, and recovered the full benefit on appeal without litigation.
Recovery from The Guardian — Accidental Death | Undetermined Manner of Death
The Guardian denied an accidental death claim because the medical examiner listed the manner of death as undetermined. Our firm argued that undetermined does not mean non-accidental and that the evidence supported an accidental death determination. We recovered the full accidental death benefit.
*Every case is different. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
What These Results Mean for Your Case
Every case on this page started the same way yours did — with a denial letter, a grieving family, and an insurance company that refused to pay. Insurance companies deny valid claims because they know most people will not fight back. Our job is to make sure you do.
If your claim has been denied or delayed — for any reason — call us for a free consultation. We will review your denial letter, explain your legal options, and tell you honestly whether we can help.
No fees unless we win. No upfront costs. No hourly charges
Call (888) 510-2212 or
email us here
**Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. The information on this page is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
Case Examples