When a person with a life insurance policy – called a life assured – dies, claim intimation should be sent to the insurance company as early as possible. The assignee or nominee under the policy can do this. So can any close relative or the agent who handles the policy.
The claim intimation should contain information like
(i) The date and time of death
(ii) Place of death
(iii) Cause of death.

The insurance company will respond to the Claim intimation and will generally request for the submission of the following documents:
• Filled-up claim form (provided by the insurance company or downloaded from website)
• Certificate of death
• Policy document in original
• Deeds of assignments/ re-assignments if any
• Legal evidence of title, if the policy is not assigned or nominated
• Form of discharge executed and witnessed

Other documents such as
• medical attendant's certificate,
• hospital certificate,
• employer's certificate,
• police inquest report,
• post mortem report etc. could be called for normally in case of accidental Death