Wilcac Life Insurance Lapse Notice Class Action Settlement
Wilcac Life Insurance Company, Texas Life Insurance Company, and Wilton Reassurance Life Company of New York agreed to settle a class action lawsuit claiming they terminated California life insurance policies for nonpayment without following the grace period and notice requirements of California Insurance Code Sections 10113.71 and 10113.72. Beneficiaries of deceased insureds may claim a payment based on policy face value, and owners of policies on living insureds may request reinstatement at a discount, by January 6, 2027.
Settlement fund
Not disclosed
Total amount not stated in the notice
Top payout
Varies
Payments based on policy face value; policy reinstatement for living insureds
Claim deadline
Jan 6, 2027
63 days remaining
You may be owed money
Get claim instructions and more information directly from the official settlement website. Deadline: Jan 6, 2027.
Do you qualify?
You are a Class Member if ALL of the following apply:
- You are an owner or beneficiary of an individual life insurance policy issued or delivered in California by Wilton (or issued elsewhere to an owner who lived in California on the Final Lapse Date).
- The policy lapsed or terminated for nonpayment between January 1, 2013 and July 31, 2026 without the benefit of one or more of the statutory grace period, notice, or designee requirements.
- The policy's Maturity Date did not pass before the insured's death (or, if the insured is living, before July 31, 2026), and the owner did not affirmatively cancel the policy in writing.
- Excluded: Policies the owner affirmatively canceled or terminated in writing, and policies whose Maturity Date expired before the insured's death or before July 31, 2026. Only members of the Deceased Population may exclude themselves.
Not sure if you qualify? Call the Settlement Administrator toll-free at 1-844-405-4091, or get more information from the settlement website directly at LifeInsuranceTerminationSettlement.com.
What happened
This lawsuit, Grundstrom, et al. v. Wilcac Life Insurance Company, et al., claims that Wilcac Life Insurance Company, Texas Life Insurance Company, and Wilton Reassurance Life Company of New York terminated life insurance policies without complying with California Insurance Code Sections 10113.71 and 10113.72, which require a 60-day grace period, specific lapse and termination notices, and an annual notice of the right to designate an additional person to receive lapse notices. The case is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, and the Class Representatives are Julie Grundstrom and David Merritt.
The Defendants deny all allegations, and the Court has not decided who is right. The parties agreed to settle the case to avoid the costs, risks, and uncertainty of continued litigation.
How to file a claim
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1. Confirm you are eligible
You must be an owner or beneficiary of a Wilton life insurance policy issued or delivered in California that lapsed or terminated for nonpayment between January 1, 2013 and July 31, 2026 without the required statutory protections.
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2. Know which relief applies to you
If the insured died, the owner and beneficiaries (the Deceased Population) may claim a Settlement Payment calculated under a Plan of Allocation based on the policy's Face Value and each person's beneficial interest. If the insured is living (the Alive Population), the owner may reinstate the policy without underwriting by paying a Discounted Reinstatement Amount, equal to 90% of the premiums needed to keep the policy in force from the lapse date to reinstatement plus 100% of three months of premium after reinstatement.
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3. Get the details from the settlement website
Relief is not automatic. Get claim and reinstatement instructions and more information from the settlement website directly at LifeInsuranceTerminationSettlement.com. Deceased Population members submit a Claim Form and Alive Population owners submit a Reinstatement Request Form, online or by mail, by January 6, 2027. The Settlement Administrator's mailing address is: Class Settlement, c/o Settlement Administrator, 1650 Arch Street, Suite 2210, Philadelphia, PA 19103.
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4. Receive your relief
Settlement Payments and reinstatement relief follow the Final Settlement Date and the completion of claim reviews, after the Court grants final approval and any appeals are resolved. Notices of the final reinstatement amount begin 30 days after the Final Settlement Date. Paper checks expire 180 days after issuance.
Key dates
- Jan 6, 2027 Opt-out & objection deadline Upcoming
- Jan 6, 2027 Claim filing deadline Upcoming
- Mar 5, 2027 Final Fairness Hearing (9:00 a.m. PT, Courtroom 7, San Francisco) Upcoming
- TBD after final approval Payments issued to claimants Pending
The Fairness Hearing is scheduled for March 5, 2027 at 9:00 a.m. PST before the Honorable Maxine M. Chesney in Courtroom 7, Phillip Burton Federal Building, 450 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94102. Claims, reinstatement requests, exclusions (Deceased Population only), and objections are all due January 6, 2027. The hearing may be postponed, so check LifeInsuranceTerminationSettlement.com for updates.
Where the money is going
The notice does not state a total settlement amount. Deceased Population payments are calculated under a Plan of Allocation based on the Face Value of each Class Policy and each claimant's beneficial interest, and Alive Population owners receive the right to reinstate at a discount. Class Counsel will ask the Court for attorneys' fees and costs and incentive awards for the Class Representatives. Any leftover funds go 50% to the California Fire Foundation and 50% to Refugee Net.
All amounts above are maximums and subject to Court approval at the March 5, 2027 Fairness Hearing. The Court may award less than the amounts requested. Individual Settlement Payments depend on the Plan of Allocation (Exhibit D, Damages Relief Guidelines) and the number of valid claims.
Common questions
How much money will I receive?
The notice does not state a set dollar amount. Beneficiaries and owners of policies on deceased insureds receive a Settlement Payment based on the policy's Face Value, their beneficial interest, and the aggregate Face Amount of all associated Class Policies. Owners of policies on living insureds may reinstate the policy at a Discounted Reinstatement Amount without new underwriting or a new contestability period.
Do I need to submit proof of purchase?
You must submit a Claim Form (Deceased Population) or a Reinstatement Request Form (Alive Population). Submitting a form does not guarantee relief; the Settlement Administrator reviews each submission.
What if I didn’t receive a notice?
Notices went to owners and beneficiaries identified in the Defendants' records. If you believe you fit the class definition but did not receive a notice, get more information from the settlement website directly at LifeInsuranceTerminationSettlement.com or call the Settlement Administrator at 1-844-405-4091.
Does staying in the class affect my right to sue later?
Yes. Class Members release claims related to their Class Policies that were or could have been alleged in the lawsuit, whether or not they submit a claim or reinstatement request. Only members of the Deceased Population may exclude themselves, by January 6, 2027. Alive Population members cannot opt out.
When will payments be sent out?
The Court will hold the Fairness Hearing on March 5, 2027. Payments and reinstatement relief follow the Final Settlement Date and completion of claim reviews, which can take a year or more if there are appeals.
Dapeer Law, P.A.
Consumer class action attorneys based in South Florida. We track settlements so you don’t have to.
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This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Dapeer Law, P.A. is not the administrator of this settlement and is not affiliated with Wilcac Life Insurance Company, Texas Life Insurance Company, and Wilton Reassurance Life Company of New York, Angeion Group, LLC (the Settlement Administrator), or Class Counsel attorneys of Nicholas & Tomasevic, LLP, Singleton & Schreiber, LLP, and Winters & Associates. The case is Grundstrom, et al. v. Wilcac Life Insurance Company, et al., Case No. 3:20-cv-03445-MMC, pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California before the Honorable Maxine M. Chesney. Class representatives are Julie Grundstrom and David Merritt. Wilton denies wrongdoing. This website is attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.