Widow demands justice after insurance company refuse to pay for husband’s funeral

AN expat widow has denounced an insurance company after it failed to pay for her husband’s funeral.

Victoria Colonge was shocked to discover Ocaso Insurance would not be covering the costs of her husband Bruno’s funeral – as agreed in the policy – after he died from a brain hemorrhage in June.

She only found out after receiving a call from the funeral parlour demanding payment and not from the company direct.

“I was amazed that Ocaso had given my phone number to others to tell me they were not going to pay, it was completely underhanded,” said Colonge, 65, whose husband had paid €28 a month for the policy for six months.

A full month after her husband’s death, Colonge received a letter from Ocaso, stating that they would not be covering the €3,760 costs because Bruno had an illness which ‘limited his hope of life’.

But, when the couple – who got married in Gibraltar – took out the policy, Bruno was told by representatives of Ocaso that medical checks were not necessary.

This is despite the fact he had undergone a laryngectomy for throat cancer in November 2013, leaving a visible stoma in his neck and impairing his speech.

However, Bruno was actually killed by an unrelated brain hemorrhage a year later.

“It has been really awful for me, and very stressful to deal with,” said Colonge. “I’ve lost weight, struggled with sleeping and been thoroughly unhappy.”

“After my husband died Ocaso discussed the funeral arrangements with me and said that they were going to take care of everything.”

She has now filed an official complaint against the company with the Junta, and is waiting to hear back over whether she should file an official police ‘denuncia’.

Ocaso spokesman Jose Ripoll confirmed to the Olive Press that the matter was being investigated and that he was hoping to discuss Colonge’s complaint with her.