OMAHA — Vaneza Ramos said she felt a sense of peace and vindication upon hearing a jury verdict that awarded her $11.3 million in a case against an insurance company that denied a claim after her husband died of COVID-19.
Beyond the dollar value, she and the couple’s 10 children are happy to see their dad’s reputation affirmed, as she said he was portrayed as a liar.
“It was really difficult,” Ramos said of the loss of her husband during a pandemic and with a house filled with children asking for their father. “Physically and emotionally, we’re now more stable,” though the economy has made times tough, she added.
Her husband, Jose Gaytan, died May 31, 2020 — just 20 days after Ramos gave birth to their last baby. Farmers New World Life Insurance rejected their $350,000 life insurance claim, saying Gaytan had a history of a heart attack and that a post-death investigation showed he failed to disclose the medical condition on his application…