תוכן עניינים
Step 0 — Locate All Existing Policies
Before filing a claim, check whether the deceased held additional policies you may not be aware of. The Israeli Insurance Commissioner operates the bikoach.gov.il tracing service, which searches all Israeli insurers and reports back within days. This step is critical — many families collect on only one policy while others go unclaimed.
Who Can File a Life Insurance Claim
The named beneficiary on the policy has the primary right to file. If no beneficiary is designated, the right passes to the estate heirs according to the Inheritance Order or a valid will. In cases of conflicting claims among multiple beneficiaries, an attorney can help determine priority.
Step 1 — Submit the Formal Claim
The insurer requires the following documents:
- Original death certificate (issued by the Ministry of Interior)
- Copy of the beneficiary’s ID
- Inheritance order or probated will (if claiming as heir)
- Completed insurer claim form
- Bank account details for payment
Natural Death vs. Accidental Death
Many life insurance policies include a double-indemnity rider for accidental death, paying twice the base benefit. If the death resulted from an accident, road incident, or workplace injury, verify whether the policy includes this provision — it can double the payout.
Section 53 — The Two-Year Contestability Rule
Once a life insurance policy has been in force for two or more years, the insurer cannot deny the claim on grounds of non-disclosure or misrepresentation at the time of application. This is an absolute statutory protection — even if the insured omitted a medical condition when applying, the company is barred from rejecting after two years.
Step 5 — Appealing a Rejection
If the insurer rejects your claim, you have several options:
- Request the full written rejection with specific grounds
- Submit a formal objection letter to the insurer within the policy terms
- File a complaint with the Insurance Commissioner
- Initiate legal proceedings — insurers frequently settle once litigation is filed
Interest on Delayed Payment
Under Section 27 of the Insurance Contract Law, the insurer must pay within 30 days of receiving all required documents. Delays trigger statutory arrears interest under Section 28, plus potential punitive compensation under Section 28a for bad faith conduct.
For a free consultation on your life insurance claim, contact Lev-Taieb at 072-2428822 or visit our insurance claims page.
