Fraudulent Foreign Death Claims Present Challenges to Life Insurers
By J. Snowden Stanley, Jr. and Christopher J. Lyon
(Published in For the Defense, February edition)

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For some years, the life insurance industry has dealt with the question of whether death claims originating in underdeveloped, tumultuous regions of the world were legitimate or fraudulent. These claims continue to present real challenges to insurers. This article reviews the case law addressing death claims originating in foreign countries and analyzes the evidentiary concerns involved.

The article also considers several issues confronted during the evaluation and investigation of foreign death claims by insurers striving to protect their companies against fraud. Suggestions are offered as to the effect of policy provisions which require “due proof” of death, or proof “satisfactory” to the insurer. Additionally, the article discusses issues to be considered when retaining an investigator to ascertain the true facts surrounding a foreign death. Full Article (The above publication is saved in PDF format. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this document.).