Navy SEAL's Widow Fights in Court

Navy Seal's Death No Suicide, Widow Says
Courthouse News
By JOCELYN RARDIN
May 5, 2015

NORFOLK, Va (CN) - The widow of a traumatized Navy Seal sued Unum Life Insurance Company of America in Federal Court after they denied life-insurance benefits on one of two policies based on a suicide clause.

Jennifer Mullen Collins sued Unum in the Eastern District of Virginia for violating the Employee Retirement Income Security Act after the company refused to honor her husband's supplemental life-insurance policy, believing he had committed suicide.

Special Operations Chief David M. Collins served a 20-year career as a Navy Seal, deployed on multiple grueling back-to-back tours of duty in Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Iraq. As a result of the traumatic experiences he endured in service to his country, he developed chronic traumatic encephalopathy, post-traumatic stress disorder and major-depressive disorder, the complaint states.

During his 20-year career as a Navy Seal, Collins was exposed to multiple blasts and experienced multiple injuries due to combat and combat training. He also suffered multiple concussions.

Upon returning home from his tours of duty, SOC Collins became employed with Blackbird Technologies and in September 2012 he was provided with Unum basic group life insurance for $104,000 and a supplemental policy for $500,000, according to the complaint.

In February 2014 Collins sought treatment at the Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth for his diminished mental abilities. He exhibited symptoms of anxiety, depression, insomnia and memory and concentration problems.

Doctors diagnosed Collins with depressive and anxiety disorders. After two therapy sessions at a counseling center, doctors also diagnosed him with PTSD and major-depressive disorder.

Less than a week later, Collins died "due to the diseases he developed during his service to his country," the complaint states.

Five different doctors evaluated Collins' mental state and each concluded that he was suffering from CTE, PTSD and/or MDD before and at the time of his death. According to the Boston University Center, CTE can only be diagnosed postmortem based on an examination of the fontal lobes of the brain.
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