ST. LOUIS — A policy owner is suing an insurance company, citing alleged breach of contract.
Hannelore Bugby filed a complaint Aug. 31 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri against The State Life Insurance Co., alleging it denied claims for benefits under the terms of the policy even though she satisfied all conditions agreed upon in the contract.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that in January 2015, she delivered to the defendant a certification completed by a licensed health care practitioner stating she was chronically ill and was unable to perform activities of daily living. The plaintiff intended to move into an assisted-living facility and seek claims for long-term-care insurance benefits. The plaintiff claims she was denied benefits even though she fulfilled all applicable conditions under the terms of the policy.
The plaintiff holds The State Life Insurance responsible because the defendant allegedly denied claims for benefits that plaintiff says she is entitled to under the terms of policy and refused to provide benefits without reasonable cause or excuse.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks for actual damages, pre- and post-judgment interest, a penalty not to exceed 20 percent of the first $1,500 of the award on the policy not including interest and 10 percent of the remainder of such award, plus attorney's fees, costs and other relief the court deems proper. She is represented by Steven M. Cohen and John Grellner of Berger, Cohen & Brandt LC in Clayton.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri case number 4:17-cv-02345-CAS