moinsurance

Under the “mutual benefit doctrine,” an injury suffered by an employee while performing an act for the mutual benefit of both the employer and the employee is compensable when some advantage to  the employer results from the employee’s conduct. The doctrine applies even when the advantage to the employee is slight. Missouri courts have applied […]

Generally, an accidental death and dismemberment plan will be required to pay death benefits in situations where the insured’s death is the result of an accident. All insurance companies limit their exposure to accidental death claims by stipulating the specific causes of death and conduct of the insured that subjects the insurance company to liability.

Under a life insurance contract, payment must be made to a beneficiary as directed by the terms of the policy. An insured, however, may reserve the right to change the beneficiary under the contract. If the insured elects to change beneficiaries, the second beneficiary will be entitled to death benefits and the first beneficiary’s interest

An accidental death benefit rider is a provision within a life insurance policy that can provide an additional death benefit if the insured’s death occurs as a result of an accident. Known as “double recovery”, Missouri courts have awarded double death benefits to beneficiaries of policies containing accidental death benefit riders. Generally, individuals who work

In the event of a divorce, a person may be required to be a named beneficiary of a life insurance policy pursuant to a divorce decree. Courts will often impose this requirement to protect the welfare of surviving children who remain under the care of the former spouse. When a divorce decree requiring the insured

The widow of man who died of an infected tick bite recently recovered a $256,000 settlement from a life insurance company. The man, an avid, hunter, was bit by a tick on his knee during a hunting trip. Within a week, the man’s knee became severely infected and he died about two weeks after the

Accidental death benefit provisions are often found in insurance policies having a broader scope of coverage, providing protection against a variety of risks arising in or related to a particular factual context. For example,  some policies, in addition to providing coverage for employment-related risks, will extend coverage to risks of travel and risks arising from

If you were the beneficiary of a life insurance policy and were denied on your claim for accidental death benefits, do not be discouraged. With the right representation, you can still prevail in a lawsuit against the insurance company and get the compensation you are entitled to. In Missouri, to establish a prima facie case

The recent crash of the VSS Enterprise, a spaceship designed to take tourists into space, has generated some serious discussion about insurance liability for the new-age adventurer. Designed by Virgin Galactic, the VSS Enterprise was on an experimental test flight when it unexpectedly crashed, killing the co-pilot. Virgin Galactic is one of many recent start-up

Any employer contributions to an employer-sponsored accidental death and dismemberment policy are not taxable to employees. In most cases, however, employees pay for their own AD&D premiums. Generally, employees pay for AD&D benefits on an after-tax basis, and as a result, benefits recieved are not subject to income tax. For employers, premiums for both the