Deceased policy holder
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Deceased policy holder
My friend passed away 3 yrs ago and his son never contacted the auto insurance
co. The son is listed as an addl driver and has his own car insured on this
policy. He was in a car accident where the other driver was injured and the ins.
co. is asking to talk to his Dad and he doesn’t know what to do. His Dad was
still legally married at the time of death but had been estranged since 1988 and
wife lives in another city and is not this son’s mother. His estate has never
gone through probate and the home is up for foreclosure. What should the son do?
Asked on March 18, 2016 under Accident Law, Florida
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 8 years ago | Contributor
He should get a lawyer:
1) He committed insurance fraud by never telling the insurer and keeping himself on (and presumably, since auto policies are typically for one year, renewing the policy 2 or 3 times) a dead man's policy. He could face jail time for this.
2) Because the policy holder is deceased and the policy was maintained and renewed under fraudulent circumstances, the insurer does not need to honor the policy, so the son will be personally liable for the accident.
3) He may have committed fraud in regards to other matters, such as the home, if he kept representing that his father was alive to the municipaity or lenders.
4) He wil have to start the probate process so the estranged (but still married at the time of your friend's death) wife gets her share of the estate, and if his delay has cost her money or value, she can sue him.
5) And there is the foreclosure to deal with.
In short, there are many major legal issues facing the son and he badly needs an attorney. He could, as stated, face criminal charges and substantial civil liability.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.