(WSVN) - A South Florida man suddenly passed away. His widow was told his employer had a life insurance policy for all their workers, but then she discovered it had been canceled while her husband was dying in the hospital … or was it? It’s why she turned to Help Me Howard with Patrick Fraser.
It’s hard for Isabel to talk about Roberto.
Isabel Padin (translation of): “Roberto was someone that I loved. He was the best, as a friend, as a husband.”
As Isabel scrolls through her phone, looking at pictures of her late husband, she is still stunned he is gone.
Luis Rivera: “Everybody loved him. Everybody cared for him.”
Roberto was a well-liked auto mechanic.
Luis knows. They used to work together.
Luis Rivera: “Very helpful, smart and mainly a hardworking guy. He wouldn’t stop working. He never took a day off.”
Then, last April, Roberto said he didn’t feel well, took a day off and went to the hospital.
A few weeks later, Luis got a call from a friend.
Luis Rivera: “He told me, ‘Hey, did you hear that Roberto passed away?’ And that’s how I found out.”
Isabel was devastated. With all her family back in Cuba, she had no one to turn to.
Luis Rivera: “He was the breadmaker, you know? Things were getting tough.”
That’s when Luis offered to help, letting Isabel know the auto dealership where Roberto worked paid for a $10,000 insurance policy for their employees.
Luis Rivera: “Yeah, yeah, they offer this life insurance policy. You know, if something happens to you, then it goes to your spouse.”
But the insurance company wrote Isabel that they did not have any coverage for Roberto.
Luis was told the policy had been canceled while Roberto was struggling to survive in the hospital, but the insurance company wouldn’t tell Isabel who did that.
Luis Rivera: “I know Roberto wasn’t going to do it. I can’t call and cancel, and she wasn’t going to cancel.”
Luis called the dealership, where he says they didn’t know about a cancellation. They did offer to pay for Roberto’s cremation, but without the insurance money, Isabel won’t be able to pay her bills.
Isabel Padin (translation): “I need to pay rent, electricity.”
Isabel needs the life insurance money. Luis is determined to help an old friend’s widow get it.
Luis Rivera: “It’s just the right thing to do, and it’s – you know, her situation and all by herself.”
Well, Howard, legally, is Isabel out of luck?
Howard Finkelstein, 7News legal expert: “In most cases, if you have a life insurance policy, the insurance company has to notify you before they cancel you. If they don’t, they cannot cancel and have to pay out if you pass away. If it’s through your employer, make sure you get a copy of the benefits, and also make sure you designate a beneficiary and give them a copy of the benefit form as well.”
I contacted Lorenzo Ford in Homestead and spoke to the general manager. He told me he would look into it. He didn’t return my calls after that, but he kept his word.
We found out from Isabel.
Isabel Padin (translation): “The check arrived directly, through a direct deposit to the bank.”
The $10,000 came from the insurance company, apparently meaning they had made the mistake when they said Roberto was not insured.
That money will help Isabel get by for a while without Roberto.
Isabel Padin (translation): “I am very happy, because Channel 7 has helped me in this process. Thanks to them, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief a bit, because I’m alone in this country.”
Glad we could help, and good luck in the future, Isabel. Now, if Luis hadn’t told Isabel about the life insurance policy, she might have never known. Did someone leave life insurance money for you that you were never told about? There are links at the end of this Help Me Howard story to go and find out. Check it out. You might get a surprise.
Life dealt you a blow? Wanna insure you get help? Contact us. We have a unique policy: we try to help everyone.
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Reporter: Patrick Fraser at pfraser@wsvn.com
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