A St. Clair County woman has filed suit against an insurance company, alleging the company would not give her $100,000 for her son's life insurance policy after he died from sudden infant death syndrome less than one month after she activated the policy.
Madeline Young claims she met with defendant Russell Hursey at co-defendant Farmers New World Life Insurance Company on Jan. 7 to inquire about a life insurance policy for her newborn son, Jaymes Young.
According to the complaint filed Sept. 30 in St. Clair County Circuit Court, Hursey asked Young a series of questions and entered her responses on an application.
After signing the application, Young gave Hursey a premium payment and on Jan. 8, a life insurance policy worth $100,000 was issued for Jaymes Young, the suit states.
On Jan. 23, Jaymes Young died of sudden infant death syndrome, the complaint says.
After her son's death, Madeline Young attempted to collect proceeds from Jaymes Young's life insurance policy, but Farmers would not pay her the money because of misrepresentations she allegedly made when applying for the policy, she claims.
She blames Hursey for making misrepresentations to her that she would be paid the full policy amount if her son died.
In the three-count suit, Young is seeking a judgment of $300,000 and punitive damages, plus attorneys' fees, costs and other relief the court deems just.
She will be represented by John J. Hopkins and Turner A. Rouse of John J. Hopkins and Associates in Edwardsville.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number: 09-L-518.
Mother denied life insurance proceeds after infant's death, sues
ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS STORY