Disability Blog & Cases:
Oregon Judge orders Standard Insurance Company to pay disability insurance benefits beyond the 24 month mental disorder limitation

In James F. Kitterman Vs Standard Insurance Company and Standard Select Trust Insurance Plans, the plaintiff, through his Oregon disability attorney, brought an ERISA action against the Standard Insurance Company (Standard) seeking to recover long term disability insurance benefits wrongfully denied under the terms of a group insurance plan (the Plan) issued by The Standard Insurance Company. This case is a victory for disability claimants and addresses an issue that is very common among thousands of claimants seeking disability benefits.


Disability Blog & Cases:
Bridgestone employee sues Liberty Life Assurance Company of Boston for long term disability benefits

Sandra Cotton-Lyons filed a lawsuit against Liberty Life Assurance Company of Boston (Liberty Mutual), Administrator of the Bridgestone Americas, Inc. Long Term Disability Plan in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. As an employee of Bridgestone Americas, Inc. (Bridgestone Firestone), Cotton-Lyons, a resident of Rocky Mount, North Carolina, is a qualified, vested member in her employer’s disability insurance plan with Liberty Life.


Disability Blog & Cases:
Cigna denies Herff Jones Inc. employee disability benefits after she is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis

Karen Kolesky has filed a lawsuit against Herff Jones Inc., Cigna Insurance, and Life Insurance Company of North America in the United States District Court of Utah, Northern Division in an effort to receive her long term disability benefits as promised in her employee insurance policy. In possession of an employee insurance policy from her employer Herff Jones, Inc., Kolesky applied for long term disability benefits when she became disabled in November 2009.


Disability Blog & Cases:
A phlebotomist employed by Quest Diagnostics and diagnosed with RSD sues Aetna for denial of long term disability insurance benefits

In Sheila Pannozzo v. AETNA Life Insurance Company, Quest Diagnostics, Inc., Quest Diagnostics Long Term Disability Benefits Plan, filed in the United States District Court of the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Pannozzo and her Pennsylvania disability attorney accuse AETNA of abruptly and improperly terminating her disability benefit payments in violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and 29 U.S.C. § 1132(a)(1).


Disability Blog & Cases:
CIGNA entitled to recover social security disability benefit overpayment

The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit recently reversed a district court’s decision denying CIGNA recoupment of overpaid benefits.


Disability Blog & Cases:
What is Liberty Life Assurance Company of Boston trying to hide in denial of disability benefits?

This disability insurance case against Liberty Life Assurance is an example of the type of fight that a disability insurance company will engage in once a disability lawsuit is filed. It is often surprising that disability insurance companies will claim they are acting fairly, yet when you ask them to provide claims handling information they will aggressively object.