My father died within two weeks of a massive stroke. One of his life policies came up for renewal when he was hospitalised, will the insurer still pay the claim?
Rakesh Awasthi, Bhopal
The situation is tragic to say the least. Normally, insurers allow for a grace period to pay the premium on life policies, if you had paid the premium on behalf of your ailing father, the policy would have been in force and the proceeds from it would have been valid. However, in this case it appears such a payment was not done. Depending on the number of years the policy was in force, the insurer might pay you a part of the sum assured, which depends on the number of years the policy was in force for and the type of policy. You should make a representation with the insurer about the circumstances under which the premiums were not paid and the state in which you were to forget paying the premium. Do state if the stroke occurred before the renewal to indicate what caused the delay for the insurer to understand your situation. The chances of a full death claim are dim, but you would get something as a special consideration, given the circumstances.
