The Tribune

By LETRE SWEETING

Tribune Staff Reporter

lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

A GRIEVING lawyer protested in front of the Family Guardian Financial Centre on East Bay Street yesterday, claiming the insurance company’s policies denied him $7,000 from his dead mother’s life insurance policy.

In a press release, attorney Mark Symonette-Rolle said: “How is it fair to a policyholder who missed only a single premium payment to have her entitlement under the policy reduced from $10,000 to as little as $2,800?

“At no time did Family Guardian advise the insured of its intent to reduce the payout if she failed to pay a single premium by a certain date.

“In my view, this is grossly unfair, ridiculous, insensitive and unbecoming of an institution like Family Guardian which has an established presence in this country.”

“All her life, she was paying premiums. There is no payment missing, except in March, when she was hospitalized and under anaesthesia. She died in April, so she missed March and April. And they’re saying now because she missed one payment, that they’re going to reduce the policy from $10,000 to $2,800.”

Mr Symonette-Rolle said his family is now suffering the financial burden of over $10,000 in funeral service expenses.

He met with representatives of the company yesterday morning.

Kerry Higgs, senior vice president of the insurance company, told The Tribune the company is in the early stages of reviewing the man’s claim, and the company expects to meet with him again pending receipt of additional information.

“The policy is being administered purely by contract and it is very clear in the contract so there is no issue around the policy changing,” she said. “The contract is very clear. And in this instance, the client has been asked for additional information. However, whatever that information is, the contract is the contract and there is no policy change, no contract change, etcetera.”

She said the claim was made on April 20, following which Mr Symonette met a junior member of the claims team who requested more information yesterday.

“Our thinking really is that this is very early stages and what we’re really attempting to do. We fully appreciate that this is a difficult time for the family and it is not our policy to discuss personal matters, but what we can share is that we are in the initial stages of responding to the client and we have requested additional information from the client,” she said.