Life, AD&D, and Disability Insurance

Overview

Robinson+Cole is one of the few firms in the Northeast with a dedicated  team of lawyers and nonlawyer professionals who focus on representing life, disability, and AD&D insurers.

Our Services

Life Insurance

We advise and defend life insurers on policy coverage matters on the individual and group markets for insurance and financial services products. We have litigated significant cases in the Northeast on a host of issues, including the following:
•  policy rescission
•  application misrepresentation
•  interpleader actions
•  market conduct claims involving allegations of deceptive trade and unfair insurance practices 
Additionally, we have defended claims that include the following:
•  vanishing premiums
•  agent misconduct
•  deceptive sales practices
•  suitability claims

Disability Insurance

We represent leading insurers in the individual and group disability coverage market in claim litigation involving all types of disability insurance products such as the following:
•  declaratory judgment actions involving failure of insureds to comply with policy terms and conditions 
•  rescissions based on application misrepresentation
•  recovery of disability benefits in cases of fraud and overpayment
•  defense of cases involving complex disability claims relating to psychiatric conditions, post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic fatigue, and fibromyalgia
•  defense of common law and statutory bad faith claims, including punitive damages 

AD&D Insurance

We defend claims for accidental death and dismemberment coverage in the individual and group benefits context. We have litigated cases involving these issues: 
•  proximate cause
•  existence of an accident
•  policy exclusions for suicide, alcohol use, and illegal narcotics

Our Team

In addition to defending individual and group benefits claim disputes, we also defend insurers in class action and market conduct litigation and in regulatory enforcement actions by state insurance departments and attorneys general. We also regularly counsel life and disability insurers on compliance with state insurance law requirements.

Industry Leadership

Our lawyers are leaders in the following professional associations and industry groups involving the business of life, disability, and AD&D insurers:
•  the Defense Research Institute's Life, Health, and Disability Committee
•  the ABA's Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section’s Committee on Life, Health, and Disability Insurance
•  the Association of Life Insurance Counsel (ALIC) 

    • Experience

      • Life Insurance

      • Defended class action claims against life insurer alleging false and deceptive practices in marketing of annuity products.
      • Defended life insurer against unfair trade and insurance practices arising from distribution and telemarketing of direct write life insurance program.
      • Represent life insurers in declaratory judgment actions seeking policy rescission based on misrepresentation of health history and conditions.
      • Obtained summary judgment for life insurer on claims of material misrepresentation of policy terms and conditions and coverage by estoppel.
      • Defend life insurers against suitability claims in sales of variable annuity insurance products.
      • Represent life insurers in interpleader actions in beneficiary disputes regarding distribution and allocation of life policy proceeds.

        • AD&D Insurance

      • Defended insurer acting as claim administrator of group AD&D plan in claim involving single vehicle fatality while claimant under the influence of illegal narcotics and alcohol. Obtained favorable settlement after summary judgment.
      • Obtained summary judgment for AD&D insurer in claim for benefits where policy determined not to be properly in force due to misconduct of agent.
      • Defended insurer denying coverage under policy’s suicide exclusion where insured died in single vehicle crash. Obtained favorable settlement after summary judgment argument.

        • Disability Insurance

      • Obtained summary judgment for disability insurer on unfair insurance practices claim alleging statutory violation of antidiscrimination provision of Connecticut Unfair Insurance Practices Act.
      • Obtained judgment of dismissal at close of plaintiff’s evidence in claim against disability insurer involving preexisting condition limitation. 
      • Won appeal of summary judgment decision in favor of disability insurer granting policy rescission based on insured’s misrepresentation regarding existence and amount of other disability coverage. 
      • Instituted declaratory judgment action seeking ruling that disability insurer owed no legal obligation to insured to continue benefit payments, due to insured's failure and refusal to obtain appropriate medical care for the condition allegedly causing the disability.
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    • News
      • January 3, 2017

        Robinson+Cole Welcomes New Litigation Partner

        • » more info

          Robinson+Cole Welcomes New Litigation Partner

          Robinson+Cole’s Business Litigation Group welcomes Patrick W. Begos as a partner in the firm’s Stamford office. Mr. Begos has nearly 30 years of commercial and insurance litigation, arbitration, mediation and negotiation experience, representing companies and individuals in a wide array of industries.

          “We are excited to welcome Pat to the firm,” said Theodore J. Tucci, chair of the firm’s Health and Benefits Litigation Group. “His addition to Robinson+Cole significantly expands our litigation depth and geographic reach in representing clients in pension and life, health, and disability benefits matters.” Read more in the full release.

        • View article

Our Team

Chair

Members