Attorney Cesar Gavidia

Cesar Gavidia is a Partner in the Disability Income Division of Dell & Schaefer. Throughout his career, Cesar has helped thousands of disability claimants to recover millions of dollars in short and long term disability benefits. Cesar focuses his legal practice in representing claimants at all stages of a claim for individual or group (ERISA) long-term disability benefits including applications, ERISA appeals, ERISA litigation, ERISA exempt disability claims and lump-sum policy buyouts. He has assisted disabled claimants in nearly every state in the country and in all occupations including teachers, surgeons, dentists, chiropractors, lawyers, judges, corporate executives, software engineers, and even disability insurance claim representatives. Cesar has litigated disability lawsuits against every major disability insurance company and has gained internal knowledge about their internal claims handling processes through extensive litigation. There are very few lawyers in the country that have as much disability insurance claim handling and litigation experience as Cesar.

Cesar’s interest in disability insurance law began in law school, which is where he was first introduced to the complex federal law, ERISA, which governs most claims arising from employer sponsored long-term disability insurance plans. Cesar began working as a law clerk with Attorneys Dell & Schaefer in 2003. Upon law school graduation Cesar joined the disability income division of our firm and has focused his entire legal career on obtaining disability insurance benefits for his clients.

Cesar earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Florida State University and a law degree from St. Thomas University School of Law. Cesar is admitted in the State Bars of Florida and California as well as multiple federal district courts throughout the nation. Cesar represents claimants throughout the nation and has established a reputation for being an aggressive advocate for his clients.

Attorney Cesar Gavidia

Get to Know Attorney Cesar Gavidia

Cesar's Client Reviews
(42)

Cesar's Resolved Cases
(52)
Showing 8 of 52 Disability Cases

Louisiana State College Director Wins Unum LTD Appeal But Then Denied Again

Client was Regional Director for the State of Louisiana. She was diagnosed with cervical rad... Read More >

Illinois Mutual terminates benefits for Tire Kingdom Service Manager After Review By Hired Physician

Our client was a service manager for Tire Kingdom, due to years of working on his feet he dev... Read More >

JP Morgan Chase Financial Advisor With Cancer Wins Prudential Long Term Disability Appeal

Our client was a 58 year old private client advisor for JP Morgan Chase Bank. He wa... Read More >

Project Manager with Migraines Gets NY Life Disability Benefit Denial Reversed

Disability due to migraines is very common, but many disability insurance claims deny these l... Read More >

Liberty Mutual Overturns Denial of Disability Benefits Following Submission of an ERISA Appeal

Liberty Mutual Initially Approves Disability Claim After Finding Total Disability From Own OccupationOur client, John, was working as a Ch... Read More >

Attorney Cesar Gavidia Successfully Reinstates CIGNA Benefits to a Senior Systems Engineer Suffering from Migraines

Claimant in this case was a Senior Systems Engineer with the EMC Corporation. He had a long history of suffering with chronic migraine headach... Read More >

Prudential denial overturned on Appeal after Dell Disability Lawyers established that Medical Device Representative could not perform duties of any gainful occupation

Our client, Luis, worked as a Medical Device Sales Representative and Territory Manager for Olympus Corporation. In 2015 at 48 years old he wa... Read More >
Cesar's Answered Questions
(50)
Showing 8 of 50 Answered Questions

Q: Can the Hartford reduce my long term disability payment due to a rental income?

Answered on January 25th 2024 by Attorney Cesar Gavidia
A: Usually non-work that is not described a deductible source of income the disability policy would not reduce th... Read More >

Q: Are VA disability payments considered “other income” by Reliance Standard?

Answered on October 25th 2023 by Attorney Cesar Gavidia
A: The disability policy may allow Reliance Standard to deduct and offset your monthly benefit payment by your VA... Read More >

Q: Does Metlife pay Disability payments ahead? Example: December payment is for January.

Answered on October 25th 2023 by Attorney Cesar Gavidia
A: Peg, most disability insurers pay monthly disability benefits in arrears, in other words, payments are made fo... Read More >

Q: Does Lincoln Financial apply offsets to all claimants equitably?

Answered on September 20th 2022 by Attorney Cesar Gavidia
A: Jerry, yes, Lincoln Financial may seek to recover an overpayment of benefits pursuant to the contractual langu... Read More >

Q: Can Cigna refuse to give me a copy of my short term disability policy?

Answered on September 2nd 2022 by Attorney Cesar Gavidia
A: Dave, since the policyholder is your employer CIGNA can refuse to provide it to you. You should contact your e... Read More >

Q: Do I have to sign and return MetLife's authorization to disclose my info in order to continue my claim?

Answered on October 24th 2020 by Attorney Cesar Gavidia
A: Pete, in most cases you are required to sign and return the authorization to Metlife. Failure to comply could ... Read More >

Q: Why is Reliance Standard trying to recover payments I was awarded through another company?

Answered on August 6th 2020 by Attorney Cesar Gavidia
A: Dani, your disability plan may contain a provision which allows Reliance to claim and recover an overpayment o... Read More >

Q: How Does Guardian Calcualutate my Long Term Disability Benefit?

Answered on June 29th 2020 by Attorney Cesar Gavidia
A: Christopher, you should request a detailed explanation and calculation of your long-term disability benefit fr... Read More >
Cesar's Disability Videos
(215)
Showing 12 of 215 Videos
Cesar's Disability Benefit Tips
(36)
Showing 8 of 36 Benefit Tips

How To Get Long Term Disability Benefits Approved Due To Neck Pain

If you have a disability claim that involves neck pain, you might be wondering exactly how mu... Read More >

How do I prepare for an IME Exam requested by Disability Insurance Company?

Every day we get calls about claimants that have been requested to attend a medical exam requ... Read More >

Can my disability insurer offset pension or retirement benefits that I'm drawing from a previous employer?

It is common for group disability insurance policies to contain provisions “offsetting” or reducing the monthly disability benefit by othe... Read More >

Neck Pain and Long Term Disability Insurance Claim Help

Neck pain is unfortunately a very common occurrence for people at some point in their life. W... Read More >

What Should a Claimant Expect When Suing Cigna or any Other Disability Company for Long Term Disability Benefits?

ERISA disability lawsuits are complicated due to the pro-insurance company laws. Our disabili... Read More >

When is the Best Time to Submit a Claim for either STD or LTD insurance benefits?

The answer to this question depends on numerous factors such as disability policy language, m... Read More >

The Long-term Disability Medical Consultant review. What is it? What can be expected?

You’ve arrived home from your doctor visit and you check the mail and find that you have a letter from your long-term disability insurance c... Read More >
Cesar's Disability Lawsuit Stories
(193)
Showing 8 of 193 Lawsuit Stories

Unum Wrongfully Terminated Disabled Lawyer’s Disability Claim of Depression and Anxiety Despite Improvement in His Condition

This Unum lawsuit and appeal in federal court is a great victory for all Unum disability claimants. This ca... Read More >

California Federal Court Overturns MetLife’s Denial of Disability Benefits

Application for Long-term Disability Under Kaiser Health PlanRenee Monroe worked as a Human Resources Compliance Specialist for ... Read More >

Court Finds Prudential Abused its Discretion in Denying LTD Benefits

In James Ampe v. The Prudential Insurance Company of America, et al., Plaintiff Ampe worked for several years for the Massachusetts ... Read More >

Court Denied American General's Motion for Partial Summary Judgment

In Kelly Ann Tyler v. United States Life Insurance Company in the City of New York, et al., United States Life Insurance and America... Read More >

Court Orders Principal Life to Pay Long-Term Disability Benefits to Plaintiff

In Craig Robertson v. Principal Life Insurance Company, Plaintiff, a National Account Sales Manager with XPO Logistics in Phoenix, A... Read More >

Court Rules Against Unum Holding Plaintiff's Plan is Exempt from ERISA Coverage

In Paula Le v. Unum Insurance Company of America, plaintiff was severely injured in an automobile accident and was unable to return to her job... Read More >

California Federal Court Orders Metropolitan Life Insurance Company to reinstate benefits to disabled analyst

Prior to disability, David Do was employed as an Analyst-Desktop services for IVZ, Inc. He was responsible to resolving and handling “all su... Read More >

Aetna Ordered by Federal Court to Reconsider the Claim of Amazon Employee Disabled Due to Urinary Incontinence

In July 2016, Kimberly Garner, suffering from urinary incontinence, left her job with Amazon, and filed a claim for long-term disability benef... Read More >
Fun Facts About Cesar

We are not your typical law firm. We are always thinking outside of the box so that we can keep our clients a step ahead of the insurance companies. Customer service with our clients is an essential element as we want every case handled as if it was our own. Since the lawyer that you work with at our firm will need to know a lot about your life, we think it is important that you have the opportunity to learn more about the lawyer(s) working on your case. Here are some interesting and fun facts about Cesar Gavidia:

  • Describe myself in three words: Ambitious, determined, gregarious.
  • Best Thing To Do On Free Time: I enjoy boating, fishing and spending time with family and friends
  • Hobbies: Boating, Snowboarding/Skiing, Wakeboarding
  • Favorite Food: Ceviche or a good hamburger
  • Favorite Place to Travel: I love traveling to Breckenridge and really anywhere in the Rockies. The landscape is breathtaking. I also love traveling to the Bahamas and Virgin Islands.
  • Favorite TV Show: Game of Thrones and Dexter
  • Favorite Book: Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
  • Favorite Musician: Jimmy Buffett; Social Distortion; Bob Marley
  • Favorite Quote: We are what we repeatedly do; excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” – Aristotle
  • What do I like about my job: Often, when people contact us they have been sparring alone with the insurance company, they are beaten up, weathered and don’t know where else to turn. I enjoy the ability to then counsel these people, instill in them renewed confidence and provide them with that second wind that they need to recover what is rightfully theirs. To know that I have helped someone turn a situation which at some point looked grim, into something positive is the most rewarding aspect of my job.

Reviews from Our Clients

Request a Free Consultation

Our Lawyers Respond Same Day

5 Ways We Help Get Your Benefits Paid

Get Your Disability Application Approved

Our goal is to get your application for disability income benefits approved. Applying for disability benefits can be a difficult process and the information you provide is critical. Most disability insurance companies look at your application in hopes of finding a reason to deny your claim. Your disability company will ask you to complete numerous forms, interview you, request lots of information, speak with your doctors and possibly request to have you examined by their "hired gun" doctor.

Through our experience of having helped thousands of disability insurance claimants, our lawyers will guide you through the entire application process and give you the best chance to get your disability claim approved the first time.

Submit A Strong Appeal Package

If your disability insurance benefits have been wrongfully denied, then our lawyers know exactly what it takes to get your disability claim approved. You only get once chance to submit an Appeal, therefore every piece of evidence that will support your disability claim must be included. The goal is to win your disability benefits at the Appeal level, but while preparing your Appeal you must consider how a federal judge will review your disability claim if your benefit denial is upheld.

Preparing a strong disability appeal package is an art that requires you to understand how the courts interpret your disability policy language, ERISA regulations / laws, and how to strategically present evidence in support of your definition of "disability". We encourage you to contact any of our lawyers for a free immediate review of your disability denial.

Sue Your Disability Company

98% of the disability insurance lawsuits filed by our law firm have resulted in either the payment of benefits or a lump-sum settlement agreement. Our disability lawyers have filed ERISA governed and private policy long term disability insurance lawsuits against every major disability insurance company in state and federal courts nationwide and we love fighting for the "little guy" against the multi-billion dollar insurance company giants.

We have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for our clients and we would like the opportunity to provide you with a free review of your disability benefit denial. There are many complex factors in a disability benefit lawsuit and the legal battle to win long term disability benefits can be fierce.

Prevent A Disability Benefit Denial

Approval of long-term disability is a continuous process as every disability insurance company will evaluate your eligibility for benefits on a monthly basis. You can never let your guard down and assume that your disability company will continue to pay your benefits for as long as you think you need them.

Our law firm offers a reasonable flat fee monthly claim handling service in which we handle every aspect of your long-term disability claim and do whatever it takes to make sure you are paid every month.

Negotiate a Lump-Sum Settlement

Let's discuss if a lump-sum settlement or buyout of your disability insurance claim is both available and makes financial sense for you. Our lawyers have negotiated more than five-hundred million dollars in disability insurance buyouts and we know how to get you a maximum settlement. A disability insurance company is not required to offer a buyout and not every disability company offers them.

Questions About Hiring Us

Who are Dell Disability Lawyers?

We are disability insurance lawyers that know how to get your short or long term disability benefits paid. As a nationwide law firm we have helped thousands of disability insurance claimants throughout the United States to collect hundreds of millions of dollars of disability insurance benefits from every major disability insurance company.

In more than 98% of our cases, our lawyers have been able to either get our clients paid monthly disability benefits or obtain a one-time lump-sum settlement. Our lawyers have seen it all when it comes to disability insurance claims and we know exactly what it takes for your disability claim to be approved.

We welcome you to contact any of our attorneys for a free immediate review of your disability claim. We also invite you to visit and subscribe to our YouTube channel where we have more than 700 videos and regularly provide tips to help protect your disability benefits.

Who do you help?

Our lawyers help individuals that have either purchased a long term disability insurance policy from an insurance company or obtained short or long term disability insurance coverage as a benefit from their employer. We have helped individuals in almost every type of occupation with monthly disability benefit payments ranging from $1,500 to $50,000.

Our clients include all types of employees ranging from retail associates, sales representatives, government employees, police officers, teachers, janitors, nurses, pilots, truck drivers, financial advisors, doctors, dentists, veterinarians, lawyers, consultants, IT professionals, engineers, professional athletes, business owners, and high level executives.

A strong understanding and presentation of the duties of your occupation is essential for securing disability insurance benefits.

Do you work in my state?

Yes. We are a national disability insurance law firm that is available to represent you regardless of where you live in the United States. We have partner lawyers in every state and we have filed lawsuits in most federal courts nationwide. Our disability lawyers represent disability claimants at all stages of a claim for disability insurance benefits. There is nothing that our lawyers have not seen in the disability insurance world.

What are your fees?

Since we represent disability insurance claimants at different stages of a disability insurance claim we offer a variety of different fee options. We understand that claimants living on disability insurance benefits have a limited source of income; therefore we always try to work with the claimant to make our attorney fees as affordable as possible.

The three available fee options are a contingency fee agreement (no attorney fee or cost unless we make a recovery), hourly fee or fixed flat rate.

In every case we provide each client with a written fee agreement detailing the terms and conditions. We always offer a free initial phone consultation and we appreciate the opportunity to work with you in obtaining payment of your disability insurance benefits.

Do I have to come to your office to work with your law firm?

No. For purposes of efficiency and to reduce expenses for our clients we have found that 99% of our clients prefer to communicate via phone, email, fax, GoToMeeting sessions, or Skype. If you prefer an initial in-person meeting please let us know. A disability company will never require you to come to their office and similarly we are set up so that we handle your entire claim without the need for you to come to our office.

How can I contact you?

When you call us during normal business hours you will immediately speak with a disability attorney. We can be reached at 800-698-9159 or by email. Lawyers and staff must return all client calls same day. Client emails are usually replied to within the same business day and seem to be the preferred and most efficient method of communication for most clients.