Engelman v. Connecticut General Life Insurance Company
Supreme Court of Connecticut
690 A.2d 882 (1997)
Ella Ryder held a life insurance policy with Connecticut General Life Insurance (CGLI) (defendant) requiring beneficiary changes to be submitted on a company form; when she wanted her estate named beneficiary, her attorney Engelman (plaintiff) prepared and witnessed a signed letter to CGLI including her policy name and number clearly requesting the change, but CGLI, instead of processing it, mailed her its own change form, which she never returned before her death. CGLI admitted Ryder's letter met all the formalities of its requirement and clearly expressed her intent, but still denied Engelman's claim as executor because Ryder had not used CGLI's specific form; the trial court ruled for CGLI.
Whether a life-insurance policy beneficiary can be changed if the policy owner substantially complies with the insurance company's requirements for changing the life insurance policy beneficiary.