The term “Insurance Fraud” often brings to mind the insurance claimant who manufactures or fakes an injury in order to bilk an insurance company. However, in the context of “Mass” and “Class” legal actions, it is the insurance company that is accused of committing the fraud and bilking the insured, not the other way around.
One area that has been ripe for mass legal action is what is known as the “Vanishing Premium” case. These cases involve customers being falsely told that if they make their premium payments for a certain amount of time (for example, 10 years) they never have to make any other premium payments and the policies will pay for themselves at that point, or that premiums on universal life policies are “fixed,” when in fact the premiums will require increases in order to maintain the policy in later years.
Many major companies have been involved in legal wranglings over these types of allegations.
Race-based Premium Discrimination
Another area ripe for mass legal action involves the sale of race-based insurance premiums. During the 1930’s through the 1970’s, several insurance companies engaged in the shameful practice of charging “race-based insurance premiums” on so-called “burial policies” and/or “industrial life policies.” This reprehensible practice involved a national scheme to unlawfully charge African Americans higher insurance premiums based solely on the color of their skin.
If you or a loved one is in need of legal assistance, call Reeves & Mestayer, PLLC at 228-374-5151 or toll free 1-855-558-2977 or contact us online. The initial consultation is free of charge, and if we agree to handle your case, we will work on a contingency fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if there is a monetary recovery of funds. In many cases, a lawsuit must be filed before an applicable expiration date, known as a statute of limitations. Please call right away to ensure that you do not waive your right to possible compensation.
