Widow sues companies for underpaying death claim

A Randolph County woman has filed suit against Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and General Electric Company, claiming she did not receive the total life insurance money to which she was entitled after her husband passed away.

Peggy A. Brammer claims she was supposed to receive $1.3 million after her husband, Gerd Brammer, died on May 18 while still an employee of GE.

However, Peggy only received $850,000 of the money, and MetLife has refused to pay the remaining balance, according to a complaint filed Dec. 1 in St. Clair County District Court.

If MetLife is not liable for the money, Peggy claims she is entitled to collect the remaining money from GE.

In addition to the balance due, Peggy is seeking interest from the date of the receipt of the application, attorney's fees and costs.

She is represented by Ted Harvey of Freeark, Harvey, Mendillo, Dennis Wuller, Cain and Murphy in Belleville and Stephanie Gale Gardner of Bersche and Gardner in Waterloo.

St. Clair County Circuit Court case number: 08-L-615.