Disability Claim Denial

Bad Faith Disability Insurance Claim Denials

Long term disability insurance policies are purchased to provide an income if you become disabled and unable to work.  Policies typically replace forty to sixty percent of your income in the event that you are unable to work for an extended period.  Disability claims are often denied in “bad faith”; disability insurers use obscure clauses and other tactics to deny or terminate legitimate claims. Many disabling conditions are routinely denied so that the companies can achieve maximum profitability.  As a result, policyholders are left without an income and with no disability income in their time of need.

If your disability insurance provider has denied your claim or discontinued payment of benefits, our attorneys can help.  We work with policyholders and fight for the benefits to which they are entitled.  Contact us today at 1-866-50-RIGHTS (1-866-507-4448) for a FREE, no-obligation disability insurance consultation.

Disability Insurance Companies

There are many disability insurers who write policies for individuals and groups, some of which are listed below:

  • Unum Provident (now “UNUM”)
  • Provident Life
  • Unum Life Insurance Company
  • Paul Revere Life Insurance Company
  • Metlife – Metropolitan Life Insurance Company
  • Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company
  • Colonial Life Insurance Company
  • Aetna Insurance
  • AXA Insurance
  • Berkshire Insurance
  • CNA Insurance
  • Cigna Insurance
  • Equitable Insurance
  • Guardian Insurance
  • Hartford Insurance
  • Prudential Insurance
  • New York Life Insurance
  • John Hancock Insurance Company
  • The Standard
  • Illinois Mutual

ERISA Claims & Appeals

Disability policies are often issued as part of employer benefit plans.  These policies fall under ERISA, or The Employee Retirement Income Security Act. ERISA governs employer-issued group long term disability plans.  Disputes are filed in special federal courts and follow specific procedures.  ERISA appeals often require experienced legal representation.

Social Security Disability

The Social Security Disability (SSD / SSDI) benefits program was created under the  Social Security Disability Act and provides income for disabled people. Eligibility is based on whether the disabled person has worked recently (paid into the system through payroll taxes and earned a certain number of work credits), is of a certain age, and has a mental or physical disability that will prevent him/her from working for 12 or more consecutive months or is expected to lead to death.  Supplemental Security Income (SSI) was created for younger workers or workers who may not have obtained enough work credits to participate in SSD. Social Security benefits can be difficult to obtain and require extensive proof of disability, and as a result, claimants often require an experienced lawyer to assist them in obtaining benefits through these programs.

Other News

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    Avandia the widely prescribed type 2 diabetes drug has been linked to increased cardiovascular risks and the debate has carried on for nearly four years about whether or not the drug should be taken off the market, according to a recent WebMD news report. The FDA issued a safety alert about a possible association between Avandia and increased cardiovascular risks back in 2007. Starting November 2011, the type 2 diabetes drugs Avandia, Avandamet, and Avandaryl will no longer be available [...]

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  • Metal Hip Manufactures Asked to Provide Patient Data

    Not too long ago, DePuy Orthopaedics, a division of Johnson & Johnson, recalled two popular hip replacements systems the ASR Hip Resurfacing System and the ASR XL Acetabular System. Depuy said the products were recalled because a high percentage of patients required revision surgery after experiencing pain. Depuy said that it sold 93,000 of these systems before they decided to stop selling them last year. Additionally, dozens of other patients who have had other hip replacements from other manufacturers, such [...]

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  • Jury Orders Allergan to Pay $212 Million in Botox Case

    A Virginia man who claimed that injections of the wrinkle-diminishing Botox left him with brain damage has been awarded $212 million by manufacturer Allergan Inc. Douglas Ray Jr. said he was receiving the injections to relieve a hand tremor and writer’s cramp, a report in the Richmond-Times Dispatch said. Ray said that that Allergan failed to warn him that injections could trigger an autoimmune response leading to brain damage. Botox is a purified form of the poison botulinum and is [...]

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  • Drug Manufacturers to Discontinue Infant Drops of Key Medicine

    According to a recently released Associated Press news report, Johnson & Johnson and other drug makers of cold and fever medications said that they will discontinue infant drops of medicines containing acetaminophen in an effort to avoid confusion that can lead to dangerous overdoses. The industry association for over-the-counter medicine companies said its members will begin phasing out the liquid drops later this year. After the transition is complete, companies will only sell a single formula for all children under [...]

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  • Bisphosphonates Linked to Bone Fractures: Study

    Findings from a new Swedish study reveal that osteoporosis drugs known as bisphosphonates increase the risk of getting unusual thigh bone fractures, as experts have suspected, according to a recent WebMD news article. But these fractures are infrequent and the risk is small the study shows. When correctly prescribed, the overall benefit of the drugs preventing all types of fractures outweighs the risk of getting the unusual fractures, says study researcher Per Aspenberg, MD, PhD, a professor of orthopaedic surgery [...]

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  • Babies Heart Defect linked to Crude Oil Chemical Exposure

    According to an April 30, 2001, AFP news report, babies exposed before birth to ethyl benzene, a toxic component in crude oil, may have a higher risk of developing congenital heart disease, US researchers announced. Another chemical used as an industrial metal degreasing agent, trichloroethylene (TCE), also boosted heart risks, said the research to be presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting in Denver, Colorado. Congenital heart disease occurs when the heart is malformed before birth, and is the [...]

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  • Toyota Announces New Floor Mat Interference Recall

    Once again, Toyota owners are being affected by a new recall due to floor mat interference. Presently, Toyota Motor Corp. is facing hundreds of lawsuits in the United States form vehicle owners or families who suffered personal injuries, wrongful deaths, or suffered financial losses, as a result of sticky gas pedals and floor mat interference, which may causes sudden unexpected acceleration. Since the end of 2009, Toyota has recalled nearly 4 million vehicles in the United States due to sticky [...]

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  • Lawsuit over Seat Belts Can Proceed

    According to a recent Reuters news report, The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that federal regulations setting vehicle safety standards do not bar lawsuits seeking damages from automakers for installing lap-only seat belts. The unanimous ruling held that a California lawsuit against Mazda Motor Corp over a fatal 2002 collision involving a 1993 Mazda minivan can proceed. A passenger sitting in a rear seat and wearing a lap-only seat belt was killed. The lawsuit by the family of the passenger claimed [...]

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