Ledger's lawyer launches suit over $10m insurance payout

A former lawyer for Heath Ledger has launched a suit against the late actor's insurance company for allegedly refusing to pay out the $10m (£5.5m) in benefits due to Ledger's two-year-old daughter. John S LaViolette maintains that ReliaStar insurance company, with whom the 28-year-old Dark Knight star took out a life insurance policy in 2007, claim the policy is null and void because his death in January this year was suspicious and possibly a suicide, even though officials have ruled that he died from an accidental overdose of painkillers and other medicines. LaViolette claims that he is also listed as a beneficiary in Ledger's policy and is suing to get the money for Matilda Rose, Ledger's daughter from his marriage to Michelle Williams. ReliaStar has stated that it is entitled to investigate because Ledger died within two years of taking out the policy and called the lawsuit "premature" as no decision had been made on the claim. A hearing is scheduled for December 1.

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