Millions of American consumers manage financial risks for their loved ones by buying life insurance. Through this coverage, people ensure that their beneficiaries are protected by insurance companies’ promise to pay the death benefit in the event of the policy owner’s untimely death. When the insurance company breaks that promise and refuses to pay the benefit, the beneficiary may feel confused, frustrated, and defeated. Such denials usually come at the worst time when the beneficiary is still grieving the loss of their loved one.

Thousands of life insurance claims get routinely denied. And while many of them are denied for legitimate reasons, many are wrongfully denied when they should be paid. The first step in understanding whether your claim was properly denied is to consult a life insurance attorney.

About MassMutual

The Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) is a life insurance company based in Massachusetts. It offers many products – life insurance, disability insurance, long-term care coverage and retirement benefits. It was founded in 1851 and is now considered one of the largest companies by total revenue in the United States. One would think that a company with such a history and profitability would be reviewing all claims in a fair way. This is not always the case. There have been many instances when MassMutual unfairly denied life insurance claims that should have been paid.

Common Reasons Why MassMutual Denies or Delays Claims

Like any life insurance company, MassMutual will deny a claim if it deems it not payable under its own policy terms. When denying life insurance claims, it may rely on its policy exclusions, contestability provisions, and clauses regarding lapse due to non-payment of premiums. Often, MassMutual may delay a claim when it is investigating a contestable claim or when a claim falls under automatic revocation laws which remove a former spouse as a beneficiary on a life insurance policy.

Tactics MassMutual May Employ to Avoid Paying Out Claims

Unfortunately, insurance companies may engage in many unfair practices that seem legitimate from the beginning. These may include:

• sending claims forms and update letters late, via regular mail and sometimes to the wrong address even when a beneficiary requested communicating via email;
• informing beneficiaries that the claims examiner will respond to their request for information in 3-5 business days because it is their usual business practice, or 
• repeatedly telling beneficiaries that their documents have not been received and need to be re-sent.

Many beneficiaries believe that this is the way things work and engage in the claim process that may unnecessarily take months and even years to finalize. In the meantime, the insurance company keeps the death benefit it should have paid promptly from the beginning.

What to Do if MassMutual Denied or Delayed Your Claim?

If MassMutual denied your claim, speak with an experienced life insurance attorney at our firm. A denied claim can be overturned on appeal or through litigation and all denied claims are worth being reviewed by a professional. If MassMutual delays your claim for any reason, call our law firm for a free consultation.

Our life insurance attorneys fight for beneficiaries whose claims have been wrongfully denied by insurance companies. We have helped hundreds of people collect their death benefits after the insurance company told them ‘no’.

How Our Life Insurance Lawyers Can Help Recover Your Death Benefits

Our law firm is focused entirely on life insurance law. We have handled numerous scenarios of why the insurer will not pay and we have the experience and knowledge necessary to overcome a claim delay or denial. Moreover, we treat our clients with utmost respect and compassion. We know what you are going through. We know how you feel facing a large insurance company that is denying payment after your loved one paid for this coverage for years. We know what it takes to get you the money you deserve and we will fight for you until justice is served.

If MassMutual denied your life insurance claim due to any of the reasons described above, or lapsed the policy due to non-payment of premium, call us now for a free consultation.