January 2010

A ruling in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York found Reliance Standard Life Insurance Company (“Reliance”) acted in an arbitrary and capricious manner when it denied Elizabeth Diamond long-term disability benefits. Here is her story.
Continue Reading Disability Claimant Takes Reliance Standard To Court Twice Within 5 Years

An opinion issued by the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania in November 2009 highlights the challenges an attorney faces when a complaint for denial of disability insurance benefits involves parties from different jurisdictions.
Continue Reading Unum’s Attempts To Dismiss A Physician’s Bad Faith Disability Lawsuit Are Denied By Pennsylvania Federal Court

Dr. C, a podiatrist / podiatric surgeon, was successfully practicing in Texas prior to the injury which caused his disability. During a routine blood draw, the phlebotomist taking Dr. C’s blood sample mistakenly injected the needle too deep into Dr. C’s right arm. Dr. C immediately felt shooting and burning pain radiating down his right arm and into his hand.
Continue Reading Attorneys Dell & Schaefer Files Lawsuit And Obtains Lump-Sum Buyout Of Disability Policy For Podiatrist With Median Nerve Injury

Dr. Z, a chiropractor, suffered an injury to both of his wrists while performing work in his backyard. As a result, Dr. Z was forced to discontinue his profession as a chiropractor and file disability claims under his three long-term disability insurance policies.
Continue Reading Attorneys Dell & Schaefer File Lawsuit And Obtain Lump-Sum Buyout For Chiropractor After Disability Carrier Denies Disability Benefits

Linda Chavis filed a complaint against Cigna Group Insurance and Life Insurance Company of North America (LINA) on June 24, 2009, alleging that the insurance company had breached two disability insurance contracts by refusing to pay her claims for short-term disability (STD) insurance and for long-term disability (LTD) insurance.
Continue Reading Court Finds CIGNA Failed To Follow Proper Claim Denial Procedure, Nurse’s Right To Pursue Disability Law Suit Under ERISA Supported

In a ruling filed on November 17, 2009, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit found that Prudential Insurance Company of America (Prudential) had failed to provide Barbara Brown adequate information with which to appeal their decision to deny her long term disability (LTD) benefits.
Continue Reading Prudential’s Failure To Produce Documents Weighs In Long Term Disability Claimant’s Favor

The Third Circuit Court of Appeals recently rendered a very difficult decision in favor of Hartford Insurance Company dealing with the interpretation of pre-existing condition clauses in long-term disability income policies.
Continue Reading Third Circuit Court of Appeals Upholds Hartford’s Denial Of Long-Term Disability Claim Based on Pre-Existing Condition Defense

In a federal court in Peoria, Illinois, a jury ruled against Unum Company (NYSE: UNM) and awarded more than $300,000 in disability insurance benefits the insurer withheld from a general surgeon it had claimed was capable of conducting major surgeries, despite the surgeon’s difficulty standing for more than one hour at a time.
Continue Reading A General Surgeon And His Legal Team At Attorneys Dell & Schaefer Win Disability Insurance Jury Trial Against Unum