MARSHALL – A Tatum man is suing a Dallas-based insurance company, seeking to collect benefits from his son’s murder.
Tony Blankenship filed a lawsuit Dec. 9 against Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company in the Marshall Division Eastern District of Texas, alleging breach of contract.
According to the complaint, on March 4, 2014, Farm Bureau issued a $25,000 life insurance policy on the life of Da’Careyn Blankenship who had named his father, Tony Blankenship, as the primary beneficiary of the policy. On March 3, 2015, Da’Careyn Blankenship was murdered in Longview, the suit says, and Tony Blankenship filed a claim with Farm Bureau for the benefits owed under the life insurance policy.
On Aug. 10, 2015, the suit states, Farm Bureau told Blankenship his son made material misrepresentation on the application when he indicated he had never been convicted or pled to guilty to a felony or misdemeanor. In that same letter, Farm Bureau said, according to the lawsuit, ``had Mr. Blankenship made a full disclosure of [his criminal history], the company would have been unable to issue insurance on his life.”
The lawsuit alleges that during the application process Da’Careyn Blankenship expressly informed a Farm Bureau agent that he had recently completed probation stemming from a misdemeanor criminal offense and asked how to complete that portion of the application.
Tony Blankenship seeks policy benefits for which his son contracted and to which he believes he is entitled to, plus court costs. He is represented by attorney James A. Holmes of The Law Office of James A. Holmes PC in Henderson.
Marshall Division Eastern District of Texas Court Case number 2:15-cv-02055