Goodyear widow's $50K life insurance claim denied twice by Unum Insurance – Arizona's Family

GOODYEAR, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) — Whether it was golfing or hiking, Will Bennett loved the outdoors. “He liked nature,” his wife said. “We traveled a lot. And that is what he wanted to do in his retirement.”

Carly Bennett was married to Will for 26 years while the two worked as food servers. “We both worked as servers pretty much our whole life and that’s how we met in Michigan,” said Carly.

Will had been working as a full-time waiter in Scottsdale, but then COVID-19 hit in 2020. As a result, restaurants across the nation, including Will’s employer, shut down, preventing him from going to work. However, Will’s employer was generous enough to keep paying him his 40-hour weekly wage even though he wasn’t working. “I mean, we both felt we were blessed because he had a great job,” said Carly.

According to Will’s paycheck stubs, not only was he paid his hourly wage, but Carly says $4.75 per pay period was also being paid for a $50,000 life insurance policy from a company called Unum Insurance. But when Will died last year, Carly, the policy’s beneficiary, says the insurance company refused to pay out. Why? Well, according to Carly, she was told Will was not actually working, which voided the policy.

“The insurance company is telling you that because he was not ‘actively working,’ we’re going to deny this policy?” 3 On Your Side’s Gary Harper asked. “Yes, actively working,” she said. “Performing his job duty although he was still employed and getting paid the whole entire time.”

Carly appealed Unum’s decision two times and the company denied her claim both times, meaning she won’t be receiving the $50,000 payout. So, Carly contacted 3 On Your Side. “Well, I submitted an email, and you were gracious enough to reach out to me,” she said.

Harper got a hold of Unum and asked if they would review Carly’s claim again to make sure they reached the right decision. The company investigated and denied the claim again saying, “Under the clear language of the policy, Mr. Bennett was no longer covered on the date of his death, which occurred more than a year after he stopped working. We have carefully reviewed this case and we stand by our decision.”

Carly says she remains frustrated and believes insurance companies are looking for loopholes not to pay. “In your heart and in your head, you believe you have all the paperwork and documentation, and you shouldn’t have been turned down?” Harper asked her. “Yes, that’s how I feel,” Carly said.

The insurance company did not give any more details other than that statement they provided. But published reports indicate an increase in COVID-19 and other deaths have cut into earnings for many insurance carriers.

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