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This was a terrible denial by Sun Life because they denied long term disability insurance benefits after 23 months to make the claimant file two additional appeals. Our client was employed as a commercial truck salesperson. Sun Life wrongfully relied on a nurse to deny benefits and that should never have been done in this case as our client has undergone two hip surgeries and had an extensive medical history.Continue Reading Sun Life Wrongfully Denies Disability Insurance Benefits After Paying For 23 Months

Applying for long term disability insurance benefits is a process that must have a strategic plan. When you have disability policies with multiple disability companies it can be even more challenging.Continue Reading The Standard, Ameritas and Sun Life Agree to Pay Residual Disability Insurance Benefits to Surgeon

Applying for long term disability insurance benefits through Sun Life can seem like an uphill battle, especially when it comes time to ask your busy doctor to fill out a long, complicated claim form. What should claimants do if their doctor won’t support their disability by filling out an attending physician statement or contacting Sun Life? When should this conversation between you and your doctor even happen? Learn more about applying for Sun Life long term disability benefits and what claimants can expect from the process.
Continue Reading What Disability Insurance Claimants Should Know About Applying for Sun Life Disability Benefits

Canadian-based Sun Life provides group long term disability insurance policies throughout the United States, and like many disability insurance carriers, its disability insurance claimants tend to get their fair share of insurance benefit denial letters. But unlike some of the largest disability insurance carriers, Sun Life provides very thorough denial letters when it rejects a disability claim. Often weighing in at eight or nine pages to the more typical three or four, these letters can provide disability insurance claimants with a valuable roadmap to what they’ll need to prove to win a disability insurance lawsuit. Learn more about what happens after a Sun Life Disability insurance claimant has exhausted their disability insurance administrative appeals and is ready to sue this insurance carrier for disability benefits.Continue Reading Sun Life Disability Insurance Income Lawsuit & Benefit Denial Tips

In Vicki Young v. Sun Life and Health Insurance Company, plaintiff Young, a mortgage broker, was initially granted disability benefits in September 2010 based on her diagnosis of fibromyalgia. The initial two years of her disability were based on her inability to perform the essentially duties of her own occupation.

After two years, Sun Life continued her long term disability (LTD) benefits on the grounds that she did not have the ability to perform the job duties of any occupation for which she was qualified. Suddenly, in 2015, Sun Life terminated her benefits, stating she was no longer disabled under the “any occupation” standard. Young’s administrative appeal was denied and she filed this ERISA lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California.Continue Reading Court Reinstates Disability Benefits Erroneously Terminated by Sun Life

In Micha v. Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada and Group Disability Benefits Plan (Sun Life v. Group Disability), plaintiff John Paul Micha, M.D., was covered by a disability benefit policy through Sun Life which had been purchased by Group Disability, an employee welfare plan maintained to provide disability benefits to the employees of the medical group of which Micha was a part.
Continue Reading Court Orders Sun Life Assurance Company to Pay Appellate Attorney’s Fees

In Schmitz v. Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada (Sun Life), the claimant, Jeff Schmitz, was fired by Banner Engineering in July 2008 on the grounds his work performance was poor. In October 2011, Schmitz was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He then filed for disability benefits under the policy which covered him during his employment with Banner. He claimed symptoms caused by his multiple sclerosis were what caused his poor performance resulting in him being terminated. Therefore, he argued, he was disabled at the time he was fired.
Continue Reading Court Affirms Sun Life’s Disability Benefit Denial

In an unpublished opinion issued on July 7, 2014 from the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, a Federal Court ruled somewhat surprisingly and approved Sun Life’s decision to “offset” VA Benefits from a disabled Veteran’s monthly disability benefits. While this case is not “binding precedent,” it can serve as a warning for those that are receiving VA Benefits, or any other income benefits, that are not listed in their Long Term Disability (LTD) ERISA Policy.
Continue Reading Federal Appeals Court Rules that Sun Life Can Offset VA Benefits Even Though Such Benefits Are Not Listed in the Policy