Our Disability Lawyers Help You Collect Guardian Benefits

Guardian Disability Claims, Appeals And Lawsuits

Guardian Life Insurance Company of America has been in the insurance business since 1860. While Guardian has been around longer than our law firm, we have been helping claimants with Guardian disability insurance claims since the mid 1980s.

Through the representation of numerous disability claimants in ERISA Appeals, lawsuits and the application for benefits, we have gained an invaluable understanding as to how Guardian evaluates every disability claim.

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Our Lawyers Respond Today

Unlike most other disability insurance companies, you are lucky to have a Guardian disability policy. Guardian is a large company with more than 5,000 employees and over 5 million customers, but they are managed very well by experienced disability claim managers and examiners.

However, despite Guardian’s efforts to conduct business in good faith, there are still numerous claims every year that are wrongfully denied.

Top Five Reasons Your Guardian Disability Claim Could Be Denied

There are dozens of reasons that could result in a Guardian disability denial, but five most common are:

  1. Guardian hires a physician to review your medical records and the hired doctor drafts a report stating that the claimant is not disabled.
  2. Guardian hires a private investigator to follow you around with a video camera. Guardian then uses the video surveillance footage to argue that you can return to work.
  3. Guardian will send you to either be examined by a doctor of their choice (IME Exam) or to a functional capacity exam (FCE) to evaluate your restrictions and limitations.
  4. A Guardian hired doctor or nurse speaks with your treating doctor and receives information that you can return to work.
  5. Your definition of disability changes from “own occupation” to “any occupation” and Guardian hires a vocational expert to find jobs that you probably cannot perform on a daily basis.

Most Guardian Disability Denials Are Governed By ERISA

The majority of the disability Policies sold by Guardian are sold to Employers. If a claimant receives their disability coverage as an Employer provided benefit, then the policy is usually governed by ERISA.

We encourage you to watch any of our videos discussing ERISA. ERISA is a pro-insurance company law that creates a very high burden for claimants to overcome if a lawsuit needs to be filed.

Our disability attorneys litigate and Appeal ERISA claim denials on a daily basis throughout the USA.

If your claim has been denied by Guardian it is important that you take immediate action. The time period to submit an ERISA appeal is usually 180 days and following an ERISA denial you may have a very limited period of time to file a lawsuit.

Our lawyers are available to provide you with a free consultation to discuss your options regarding a denial of disability benefits by Guardian.

Resources to Help You Win Disability Benefits

Disability Benefit Denial Options
Submit a Strong Guardian Appeal Package

We work with you, your doctors, and other experts to submit a very strong Guardian appeal.

Learn more

Sue Guardian

We have filed thousands of disability denial lawsuits in federal Courts nationwide against Guardian.

Learn more

Protect Your Benefits
Get Your Guardian Disability Application Approved
We help claimants throughout the entire application process.

Learn more

Prevent a Guardian Disability Benefit Denial
We manage every aspect of your disability claim following claim approval.

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Negotiate a Guardian Lump-Sum Settlement

Our goal is to negotiate the highest possible buyout of your long-term disability policy.

Learn more

Guardian Reviews
(17)

Policy Holder Rating

1.6 out of 5
Read 17 reviews
0%would recommend
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58%
1
41%
Timely Payments
1.9out of 5
Handling Claim
2.4out of 5
Customer Service
1.9out of 5
Dependable
2.2out of 5
Value
1.9out of 5
Showing 8 of 17 Reviews
Guardian

Guardian not being flexible during Covid

Reviewed by Robert W. on April 13th 2020   Verified Policyholder
Guardian denied my LTD due to doctor’s office not sending medical records quickly due to office closed because of Corona virus. There was nothing that I could do to get ... read more >
Reply
Sent on April 13th 2020 by Attorney Gregory Dell

Robert, this is very unfortunate and sad to hear. You would think that Guardian might understand that the great majority of the country is “shut down” and getting d... read more >

Guardian

Guardian thinks people with lupus miraculously recover

Reviewed by Virginia Z on March 20th 2020   Verified Policyholder
I became disabled in 2018 (Lupus and Sjogren’s). I’m 54 and I worked over 30 years (for the government) before I became disabled. I received Guardian STD and then LTD ... read more >
Reply
Sent on March 20th 2020 by Attorney Jay Symonds

Virginia: This is a very unfortunate situation they’ve put you in. You should request in writing an extension of time to submit the information and documentation. You... read more >

Guardian

Stress over Guardian caused my heart attack

Reviewed by Kate on September 20th 2017   Verified Policyholder
All of a sudden (after 12 years), Guardian LTD is sending more and more paperwork – especially after someone stole my identity and filed taxes in my name. The IRS knows ... read more >
Reply
Sent on September 20th 2017 by Attorney Stephen Jessup

Kate, please contact our office to discuss your claim in greater detail with one of our disability insurance attorneys.

Guardian

The IRS should know that Guardian refuses to send my W-2 form

Reviewed by James R. on May 19th 2017   Verified Policyholder
I have received Long Term Disability through Guardian. They cut off my checks in July of last year. I appealed their denial and won. Now I am fighting them to get my W-2 f... read more >
Reply
Sent on May 19th 2017 by Attorney Rachel Alters

James, have you made your request in writing? Also, is your benefit taxable? If it is not, Guardian would likely not send anything.

Guardian

Guardian cancelled my husband's claim without checking his medical records. Do better. We have children to feed and bills to pay.

Reviewed by Blanca D. on March 17th 2017   Verified Policyholder
My husband was disagnosed with a long term debility in October 2016. In March 2017, Guardian sent him a form that said his doctor saw him on march 3, 2017 and cleared hi... read more >
Reply
Sent on March 17th 2017 by Attorney Stephen Jessup

Blanca, if your husband’s claim has been denied he will need to go through the administrative appeal process. Please feel free to contact our office to discuss his cl... read more >

Guardian

Guardian has built-in denial for self-employed individuals

Reviewed by Vinny G. on January 23rd 2017   Verified Policyholder
I have had a non employer Guardian LTD policy since 1991. It is for full disability. I have never had a need for it. Now that I do, I am finding they are doing all they ca... read more >
Reply
Sent on January 23rd 2017 by Attorney Cesar Gavidia

Vinny, we would need to review your policy and all the correspondence from Guardian to determine how we may be able to assist you. Please feel free to contact our offic... read more >

Guardian

Guardian has the least helpful folks I have ever met

Reviewed by Jaye W. on December 7th 2016   Verified Policyholder
Trying to get my husband’s short term debility started after a heart attack. I don’t understand their process for collecting information and making a decision about hi... read more >
Reply
Sent on December 7th 2016 by Attorney Stephen Jessup

Jaye, please feel free to contact our office to discuss your husband’s claim.

Guardian

If you work for a company who offers Guardian, tell them NO and get a non ERISA provider. Guardian lied about my options and then tried to tell me I'm not disabled

Reviewed by Bill on July 11th 2016   Verified Policyholder
I have been disabled for 15 years or so… The Guardian compelled me to apply for SSDI benefits to offset Guardian liability.. The Guardian even retained the atty… I won... read more >
Reply
Sent on July 11th 2016 by Attorney Gregory Dell

Bill, have you appealed the denial? Please contact our office to discuss your denial and to determine how we may be able to assist you.

Answered Questions by Our Lawyers
(23)
Showing 8 of 23 Answered Questions

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 >

Q: How long do I have to file my Guardian disability appeal?

Answered on June 25th 2020 by Attorney Stephen Jessup
A: Jennifer, if you have an employer provided policy you will have up to 180 days to file the appeal. If you woul... Read More >

Q: Can I claim a permanent disability to avoid a surgery that requires several months of down time without promising results?

Answered on September 14th 2019 by Attorney Jay Symonds
A: Lia, each claim depends on the specific facts and circumstances of the case in conjunction with the specific t... Read More >

Q: Do I still need to fill out Guardian claim forms if I am eligible for Presumptive Total Disability?

Answered on June 25th 2019 by Attorney Cesar Gavidia
A: Kate, it is common for benefit checks to be accompanied with claim forms as a matter of course. You can make i... Read More >

Q: Can Guardian make me file taxes on a non-taxable insurance?

Answered on August 9th 2018 by Attorney Gregory Dell
A: Dan, Guardian cannot make you file taxes. Only a tax professional can determine whether your benefits are taxa... Read More >

Q: Does Guardian reduce the qualifying income when an STD becomes a LTD?

Answered on April 24th 2028 by Attorney Alex Palamara
A: John, the document you are describing might not actually be the Long Term Disability Insurance Policy. The 270... Read More >

Q: Where does PTSD fall in to my Guardian LTD?

Answered on April 5th 2018 by Attorney Gregory Dell
A: Frank, Limitations for mental health conditions are common in disability policies and alcoholism as well as PT... Read More >
Helpful Videos
(873)
Showing 12 of 873 Videos
Disability Benefit Tips
(330)
Showing 8 of 330 Benefit Tips

Guardian Disability Benefit Claim Handling Tips

When you finally receive a letter from Guardian Disability informing you that your claim for ... Read More >

Is Your Disability Insurance Claim a Physical or Mental Disability Condition?

Almost every Group (ERISA) Long Term Disability Benefit Plan contains a provision which limits the length of time disability benefits will be ... Read More >

Disability Benefit Denial Reason #5 – Your Medical Evidence is Weak

If you're seeking long term disability benefits from an insurance company, you may be concern... Read More >

Disability Benefit Denial Reason #4 - Your Doctor Is Misled By the Disability Company

When you're seeking disability benefits under a long term disability policy, your medical rec... Read More >

Disability Benefit Denial Reason #3 - Video & Social Media Surveillance

One thing many long term disability claimants don't know about (or expect) from the claims re... Read More >

How Do You Fight a Long-Term Disability Denial?

Getting a denial letter from your disability insurance company is one of the ultimate insults... Read More >

Disability Denial Reason #2 - Change of Disability Definition & Vocational Review

One of the top reasons for terminating a claimant's long term disability benefits involves th... Read More >

Disability Denial Reason #1 – Paper Review & IME

At Dell Disability Lawyers, we've seen insurance companies give countless reasons to deny lon... Read More >
Dell Disability Cases
(372)
Showing 8 of 372 Dell Disability Cases

Transportation Manager with Brain Injury Wins Unum Disability Benefit Appeal

Unum unjustly terminated our client’s long term disability claim after it had approved and... Read More >

Engineer With Depression Wins Prudential LTD Appeal

The claimant is a former Senior Technology Services Engineer for Accolade, Inc. who was force... Read More >

New York Life Approves Disability Benefits for School Teacher With Multiple Sclerosis

Our client, a former elementary school teacher suffering from Multiple Sclerosis, contacted our office after New York Life terminated her clai... Read More >

Lincoln Denies Disability Insurance Benefits to 66 Years old Software Developer with Long Covid and MS

Our client came to us after he was denied continued Long Term Disability (LTD) benefits by The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company. Previ... Read More >

Lincoln LTD Denial Reversed for an Occupational Therapist that was Denied Benefits After 24 Months

Our now client came to us after she received a denial letter following her receipt of long term disability b... Read More >

Nurse With Knee and Back Disorder Wins Hartford Disability Appeal

We represent a General Duty Nurse who was denied long term disability benefits as Hartford im... Read More >
Disability Lawsuit Stories
(765)
Showing 8 of 765 Lawsuit Stories

Do Not Sleep on Your Rights to Disability Benefits

In a recent case out of New York, the court found that the Plaintiff did not provide a good enough reason for failing to timely file his ERISA... Read More >

Medical Doctor sues Guardian / Berkshire for $1.2 million dollars following denial of disability insurance benefits

Recently, in the case of Laser & Cosmetic Dermatology S.C and Jawdat Abboud Vs. Guardian Life Insurance Company Of America, Berkshire Life... Read More >

Guardian Life Insurance seeks overpayment of disability benefits for child social security disability benefits awarded to disabled claimant's daughter

A recent lawsuit filed against Guardian Life Insurance Company highlight an issue that comes up regularly for disability insurance claimants t... Read More >

Doctor files a disability insurance lawsuit against Guardian Life Insurance

Dell Disability Lawyers filed a disability insurance lawsuit against The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America in a New Jersey Federal co... Read More >

Guardian disability insurance denial is upheld by Ohio Federal Court & Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals

A Federal Court of Appeals recently upheld Guardian's decision to terminate long-term disability payments to an executive after four years. In... Read More >

Guardian & Berskhire Life long term disability insurance claims

It is not often we say positive things about disability insurance companies, but Guardian Ins... Read More >

Reliance Standard Disability Denial Upheld Due to Claimant's Lack of Strong Medical Record Support

In the case of Amy Wright v. Reliance Standard Life Insurance Company (Reliance), Plaintiff was the vice-president of... Read More >

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 >

Reviews from Our Clients

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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.