Who is a Class Member
You are a member of the John Hancock Flex V Life Insurance Policy if you “own or owned a Flex V Scheduled Premium Variable Whole Life Insurance Policy (Policy Form 94-85, sometimes referred to as the “Flex V2”), that is an individual life insurance policy, the benefits, payments, or values of which may increase or decrease in accordance with the investment experience of a “Separate Account” issued or administered by the Defendant or its predecessors in interest, the terms of which provide or provided for:
- an “Insurance Charge” calculated using an “Applied Monthly Rate” based on the Defendant’s “expectations of future mortality experience”;
- an additional but separate “Maintenance Charge”;
- an investment, interest-bearing, or savings component; and
- a death benefit.”
Note: If someone who would otherwise be a Settlement Class Member is deceased, his or her estate is included in this settlement.
If you don’t qualify for this settlement, check out our database of other class action settlements you may be eligible for.
Settlement Amount
- $59,750,000.00
Estimated Award
- Varies
Settlement Class Members who purchased a John Hancock Flex V Life Insurance Policy on or after January 1, 1997, will receive a minimum payment of $50.00; the average payment will be approximately $630.00, but could go as high as $5,350.00.
Settlement Class Members who purchased a John Hancock Flex V Life Insurance Policy on or before December 31, 1996, will receive a minimum payment of $25.00; the average payment will be approximately $120.00, but could go as high as $975.00.
Proof of Purchase
- N/A
Claim Form
- N/A
John Hancock Flex V Life Insurance Policy Settlement Notes
- Larson, et al. v. John Hancock Life Insurance Company (U.S.A.)
- RG16813803
- Pending in the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Alameda
In April 2016, plaintiff Barbara Larson brought this class action lawsuit against John Hancock Life Insurance Company alleging the company breached its contracts with Flex V policyholders and charged excessive fees in three different ways.
First, Larson claims that while the Flex V policy permits John Hancock to deduct an insurance charge calculated using an “Applied Monthly Rate” that is based on “expectations of future mortality experience,” the company reportedly considers factors other than mortality expectations.
Second, Larson contends that while the John Hancock Flex V insurance policy allows for a separate “Maintenance Charge” of up to $8 dollars a month, the company includes amounts that should be in the “Maintenance Charge” in the “Applied Monthly Rate.”
Lastly, Larson says that the John Hancock Flex V insurance policy requires that the “Applied Monthly Rate” be reviewed “at least once every 5 policy years” and adjusted to reflect changes in “expectations of future mortality” but has not been modified.
John Hancock denies all of the allegations and maintains all the rates and charges it applied to the Flex V Life Insurance Policies are consistent with the terms of the policy.
Complete details are provided in the Settlement Agreement. The Settlement Agreement and other related documents are available on the John Hancock Flex V Life Insurance Policy Settlement website.
Class members who wish to excludes themselves or object to the terms of the John Hancock Flex V Life Insurance Policy settlement must do so by May 8, 2018. Class members who wish to receive a payout from the settlement do not need to do anything.
Important Dates
- 4/30/18: Objection or Exclusion Deadline
- 5/8/18: Final Hearing at 3:00 pm PT* (class members do not need to attend this hearing in order to receive a slice of the settlement pie).
*Settlement Class Members who wish to speak at the hearing should check www.FlexVClassAction.com to confirm that the date or time of the Hearing has not been changed.
Contact Information
- Mail: Larson v. John Hancock Settlement Administrator, c/o Epiq Systems Inc., P.O. Box 4850, Portland, OR 97208-4850
- Phone: 1-888-740-7631
Class Counsel
- Norman E. Siegel of Stueve Siegel Hanson LLP
- John J. Schirger of Miller Schirger LLC
- Daniel C. Girard o fGirard Gibbs LLP
Settlement Website
I am a class member. The case was settled and I believe they were ordered to send checks out within 3o days. Have any members received a check or have any further info?
Received check payable to my Husbands estate he died 15 years ago Check can not be cashed at a check cashing agency or money service business What good is it??????????
Was the policy in force when your husband passed away? Was your husband the owner of the policy, and did John Hancock pay the policy’s death benefit to the policy’s beneficiary? if yes, wonder if John Hancock would reissue the check making it payable to the policy’s beneficiary?
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