[Image: Flickr]
A Gauteng woman has gone head-to-head with insurance giant Old Mutual in a drawn-out battle over a life insurance payout, after the sudden and tragic death of her husband. And let’s just say, it’s getting messy.
Annette Monica Mulder, 60, lost her husband, Rudolf Johan Frederick Mulder, back in January 2018. But instead of grieving in peace, she found herself plunged into a corporate tug-of-war that’s dragged on for years.
Rudolf had taken out a life insurance policy with Old Mutual way back in 2009. At the time of his death, Mulder found that the policy was worth a tidy R1.68 million. But when she tried to claim it, Old Mutual slammed the door in her face, reported IOL.
“When my husband died, they refused to pay out the policy and claimed that my husband killed himself. The policy never excluded suicide, there was no clause mentioning suicide. Because it wasn’t clear how my husband died, they decided to pick suicide to avoid making payment,” she said.
Besides, according to Mulder, the contract only listed three specific exclusions – none of which involved taking one’s own life.
“Those were the three exclusions that were listed in the contract. If they decided to add suicide, it’s something they added without notifying us. We were certainly not made aware of this,” she said.
Mulder’s story gets even more twisted. The night her husband died wasn’t some cinematic prelude to tragedy. It was a normal day, one of those slice-of-life evenings that end in a glass of wine and a braai.
“It was a good day; we didn’t fight or harbour any feelings of resentment towards each other. My husband went upstairs, and before I knew it, I heard a loud bang coming from our bedroom,” she said, still reeling from the memory.
She’s convinced, through and through, that this wasn’t suicide. Just a freak, gut-wrenching accident. Her husband, she says, was meticulous about his firearms – no cowboy antics, no reckless behaviour.
“This was a terrible accident. My husband was into guns and every night before going to sleep, he would check them and make sure that everything is in order. This was an accident because no one could prove without doubt that it was suicide,” she said.
The fallout from the insurer’s rejection has been brutal. Mulder says the emotional toll wrecked her career, left her physically ill, and plunged her into a depression that still lingers.
“After Old Mutual wrongly declined my claim, I got physically sick and fell into a deep depression and just could not work any longer. I’ve been fighting with Old Mutual and the Ombudsman as well as the broker since that time to pay out our policy,” she said.
But Old Mutual’s not budging. In a statement to IOL, the insurer confirmed the claim was denied in 2019, and unless something new comes to light, they’re sticking to their guns, pun intended.
“Our decision has been supported by the Ombudsman for Long-term Insurance and our Internal Arbitrator after review of the police, ballistic and pathology reports,” stated Old Mutual spokesperson, Kavir Ramjee.
So here we are – seven years later – with Mulder still clawing for justice while Old Mutual digs in its heels. Whether this is a case of bureaucratic stubbornness or something more sinister, one wonders if the fight is worth it.
[Source: IOL]
