Disability Insurance Cases Nationwide

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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

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

Once again the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals has upheld a state’s rights to protect employees that have long-term disability insurance policies issued by their employers. In an opinion filed on October 27, 2009, three circuit judges on the ninth circuit reached a unanimous decision that a state’s practice of disapproving insurance policies that…

On November 4, 2009, a ruling was handed down in the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals that will surely have insurance companies looking at how they define “pre-existing condition”. Ruth Mitzel is certainly happy that the court affirmed the lower court’s decision that Anthem Life Insurance Company, her employer and insurer, had wrongfully denied her long-term life insurance benefits.
Continue Reading Court Rules That An Undiagnosed Pre-Existing Condition Will Not Result In Denial Of Long-Term Disability Benefits

After receiving disability benefits for more than 10 years, the Reliance Standard denied disability benefits. After a 4 year legal battle, the Arizona district court determined that Melisa Gemmel was disabled by fibromyalgia. Melissa Gemmel was employed at Systemhouse, Inc. and covered under her employer’s long-term disability plan, issued by Reliance Standard (NYSE:DFG).
Continue Reading Arizona Court Reverses Reliance Standard And Awards Disability Benefits to Woman Suffering From Fibromyalgia

It is vital that you hire the right long-term disability firm to represent you. Debra Swanson had to learn this the hard way, as a recent ruling in the Fifth Circuit court of Appeals in the Southern District of Texas demonstrates. How did Swanson’s attorney fail her? Her counsel failed to file a proper appeal.
Continue Reading Texas Court Rules That Hartford Wins Long-term Disability Case, Claimant Failed To Exhaust Administrative Remedies