Woman claims she was fraudently removed as beneficiary of relative's Met Life insurance policy

A DuPage County woman is suing over claims she was fraudulently removed from her position as beneficiary of a relative's life insurance policy.

Melody White filed a lawsuit Oct. 23 in Cook County Circuit Court against Metropolitan Life Insurance Co., Nyronia Clark, Lezina Young and Jerome White, citing breach of life insurance policy.

According to the complaint, Metropolitan issued a life insurance policy to Polly A. White, who named Melody White as the primary and sole beneficiary in 1998. The suit states Polly White was diagnosed with cancer in 2004 and later treated for dementia, after granting power of attorney for property to the plaintiff, her caretaker.

Melody White says Polly White died Aug. 15, and when she made a claim to MetLife for the life insurance policies, she was told there was a competing claim, preventing a payout. The suit states that about 18 days before Polly White's death, defendant Clark used MetLife's benefits center website to change the beneficiaries to Young, Jerome White and herself.

Melody White accuses MetLife breach of life insurance policy and Clark of fraud.

The plaintiff is seeking a declaratory judgment that she is the sole beneficiary and that MetLife is obligated to pay life insurance proceeds, as well as interest and costs. She is represented by Marc R. Campagna of Ciardelli Cummings & Campagna in Chicago.

Cook County Circuit Court case number: 2014CH17174.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note, a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt and it represents only one side of the story.