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Nationwide Representation
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Disability Insurance Companies
- Dearborn National
- HM Life Insurance Company
- Broadspire
- Boston Mutual
- Reliance Standard
- Ohio National
- Reassure America
- Illinois Mutual
- Assurant
- Unum
- Union Central
- Trustmark
- Sun Life
- Standard
- Prudential
- Provident
- Principal
- Paul Revere
- Northwestern Mutual
- New York Life
- Mutual of Omaha
- Monarch
- MetLife
- Mass Mutual
- Lloyds of London
- Lincoln Financial
- Liberty Mutual / Liberty Life Assurance
- Jefferson Pilot
- ING
- Hartford Financial Services Group
- Guardian
- Great-West
- Colonial Life
- CIGNA
- Berkshire
- AXA Equitable
- AIG
- Aetna
Disabling Conditions
- Eye Disorders
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Hepatitis C
- Seizures (non-epileptic)
- Neck / Cervical Disorders
- Ataxia
- Kidney Disease
- Cerebral Atrophy
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Epilepsy
- Diabetes
- RSD / Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
- Vestibular Dysfunction
- Shoulder Disorders
- Knee Disorders
- Osteoarthritis
- HIV / AIDS
- Sleep apnea
- Stroke
- Speech Disorders
- Psychosis
- Back Disorders
- Macular Edema (Eye-Disorder)
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Peripheral Neuropathy
- Macular Degeneration (Eye Disorder)
- Lyme Disease
- Lupus
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- Heart Disease
- Hearing Impairment
- Meniere’s Disease
- Headaches and Migraines
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
- Epstein-Barr Virus
- Depression / Anxiety Disorder
- Fibromyalgia
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Cancer
- Bipolar Disorder
- Crohn’s Disease
In The Community
- Attorneys Dell & Schaefer are proud to contribute to the MDA’s Lock Up Program
- Attorneys Dell & Schaefer are honored to sponsor the Second Annual Rock The Race: A Kentucky Derby Bash presented by The Ann Storck Center
- Attorneys Dell & Schaefer are proud to support The American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Pembroke Pines
- Attorneys Dell & Schaefer helped the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation raise thousands of dollars through the Walk To Cure Diabetes
- Attorneys Dell & Schaefer contributed to the Great Strides fundraising walk for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
- Attorneys Dell & Schaefer are proud to support Jeannie Trujillo and the “I Dream of Jeannie” team in the Take Steps for Chron’s & Colitis
- Attorneys Dell & Schaefer Support The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America’s Evening Of Hope
- Attorneys Dell & Schaefer Helps To Raise Over $100,000 For Boys & Girls Club
- Attorneys Dell & Schaefer Participate In The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree Program
- Attorneys Dell & Schaefer Help To Raise More Than $11,000 For Best Buddies
- Attorneys Dell & Schaefer Volunteer In The City Of Hallandale Beach’s Adopt-A-Shoreline Program
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are self reported condition limitations in a group long term disability insurance policy?
- Can my long term disability claim be denied for a pre-existing condition?
- What is a residual disability income claim?
- Can I do volunteer work while I am collecting long term disability benefits?
- Does Social Security always deny disability claimants the first time they submit a claim?
- Can the disability insurance company require me to have surgery in order to collect disability benefits?
- How often does the Social Security Administration evalaute a claimant’s eligibility for SSDI benefits?
- How often does the disability insurance company expect a disability claimant to treat with a doctor?
- How does the Social Security Administration determine if a person is eligible for social security disability benefits?
- What are the five most common reasons for a long term disability insurance claim denial?
- Does social security disability approve claims that are based on subjective medical conditions?
- How long do I have to be disabled before I can file a claim for social security disability benefits?
- What is the appeal process if my Social Security Disability Claim has been denied?
- Why should I have a disability insurance attorney participate in an interview requested by the disability insurance company?
- Does the claimant, after getting a request to a field interview, have to do it?
- What happens when a long term disability insurance company requests to do a field interview regarding your claim?
- Are the outside companies hired by disability insurance companies to locate IME doctors independent?
- Are independent medical examiners hired by a disability insurance company truly independent?
- What can I do to protect myself during an IME exam requested by my disability insurance company?
- Can my disability claim be denied if my disability company never conducted an IME exam?
- Will my disability insurance company give me a copy of the IME report?
- Why is my disability insurance company requesting an IME exam?
- Do I have to attend an IME exam requested by my disability insurance company?
- Is video surveillance of a disability claimant engaged in non-work related activities sufficient evidence for a disability insurance company to deny disability benefits?
- Do I have to sit home all day in fear that my disability insurance company will videotape me and then deny my disability benefits?
- When should a disability claimant suspect that their disability insurance company is doing video surveillance?
- Why do disability insurance companies conduct secretive video surveillance?
- Can a disability insurance company conduct video surveillance of a claimant whenever and wherever they want?
- How do I obtain a copy of my long term disability insurance policy or disability plan?
- Should I allow my disability insurance company to interview me in my home?
- If my long term disability claim is wrongfully denied will the insurance company pay my attorney’s fee if I win my case?
- Can I recover attorney fees if my long-term disability claim is governed by ERISA?
- Should bipolar disorder be classified as a mental nervous condition and limited to 24 months of benefits?
- Can a disability insurance company conduct video surveillance of me without my permission?
- If I am already receiving long-term disability benefits, what actions can I take to help prevent denial of disability benefits?
- Can a long-term disability insurance company claim an overpayment once a claimant is approved for social security disability income benefits?
- Why are disability insurance policies difficult to understand?
- Why is it important to have a disability attorney when applying for disability insurance benefits?
- Does having a disability insurance attorney raise a red flag?
- What is an “own occupation” definition of disability?
- What is an “any occupation” definition of disability?
- What time frames apply to an ERISA disability appeal?
- Who are the largest private and group disability insurance companies?
- How do I know if my disability policy is subject to ERISA?
- Are there any penalties if a disability insurance company violates ERISA?
- Why was ERISA created?
- How does an individual disability claim differ from an ERISA group disability claim?
- Is ERISA a fair law for disability claimants?
- Why consider a lump-sum buyout of your disability insurance policy?
- How do disability insurance companies calculate lump-sum buyouts?
- What is a lump sum buyout?
- What types of medical conditions are most commonly challenged by disability insurance companies?
- How important is the support of my treating physician?
- Should I speak with an attorney prior to filing my long-term disability insurance claim?
- What are my options if my long term disability insurance claim has been denied?
- Do you need to suffer a loss of income to collect disability income payments?
- Can you work in a different occupation while collecting disability income payments?
Our Resovled Cases
- Disability lawyers win ERISA long term disability appeal against Hartford
- $140,000 in long term disability insurance benefits is recovered for disabled teacher
- MetLife approves disability insurance benefits for OB/GYN suffering from multiple orthopedic conditions
- Federal Insurance Company and former postal worker reach confidential settlement regarding lump-sum disability policy
- Unum issues disability insurance benefits to currency trader suffering from depression and chronic fatigue
- Berkshire and Liberty Mutual approve benefits to OB/GYN suffering from essential tremor
- Life Insurance Company of North America (CIGNA) lump sum settlement buyout offer obtained for former salesman
- $4.3 million in disability benefits for general surgeon following UNUM jury verdict
- Liberty Mutual reverses decision to terminate disability benefits
- Disability carrier denies disability benefits to chiropractor after paying for 8 years, yet Attorneys Dell & Schaefer file lawsuit and obtain lump-sum buyout
- Podiatrist with median nerve injury files lawsuit and obtains lump-sum buyout of disability policy
- A general surgeon and his legal team at Dell & Schaefer win disability insurance jury trial against Unum
- Berkshire approves total disability benefits for litigation attorney following surgery to remove a cancerous tumor and multi-level fusion of cervical spine
- Reed group overturns its decision to terminate short term disability benefits to medical device sales representative and retired marine corp. officer suffering from post traumatic stress disorder
- Prudential reverses denial of long term disability benefits to engineering manager suffering from coronary artery disease
- Cameraman suffering from chronic knee problems receives long-term disability benefits from the Mutual of New York Life Insurance Company
- Lincoln Financial’s denial of long-term disability benefits is reversed following appeal submitted by attorneys Dell & Schaefer
- Disability insurance attorneys Dell & Schaefer resolve lawsuit against Unum on behalf of ophthalmologist suffering from bi-lateral carpal tunnel syndrome
- Unum approves long-term disability benefits for a general surgeon diagnosed with cervical degenerative disc disease
- $1,200,000 mental / nervous condition settlement for a practicing attorney
- $480,000 settlement for a dentist after insurance company’s bad claims handling are exposed
- A former podiatrist and current national judo champion and marathon runner collects long-term disability benefits
- Aetna approves disability benefits for dentist following brain surgery to remove a tumor
- Aetna’s denial of disability benefits to an OBGYN physician is reversed following an appeal submitted by attorneys Dell & Schaefer
- Attorney Dell & Schaefer prove dentist is totally disabled and not residually disabled
- Attorneys Dell & Schaefer win long term disability insurance appeal against MetLife on behalf of engineer suffering from Parkinson’s
- Attorneys Dell & Schaefer win benefits for client under a catastrophic illness policy
- Attorneys Dell & Schaefer win long-term disability trial against Prudential Insurance Company Of America on behalf of time-share salesperson suffering from cervical disc disease
- Attorneys Dell And Schaefer obtain lump sum buy-out of an Unum long term disability insurance policy for a drywall contractor
- AXA Equitable and Disability Management Services approves benefits for a chiropractor suffering from lumbar and cervical disc disease
- Berkshire Life Insurance Company approves long-term disability benefits for a dentist suffering from lumbar disc disease
- Chiropractor placed on claim despite an “any occupation” provision
- Chiropractor receives total disability benefits despite neck exclusion language in a Trustmark Insurance Company disability policy
- Cigna approves internal medicine doctor for long-term total disability benefits
- Cigna reinstates disability benefits for an accounting manager
- Dentist wins appeal and UNUM Provident pays disability benefits
- Dentist with hand tremor files suit and receives confidential settlement for past due and future long-term disability benefits
- Disability insurance carrier cuts veterinarian’s benefits after paying for 9 years
- ENT doctor receives $225,000 and continues to work in his same occupation while collecting disability
- Equitable pays total disability benefits to an attorney
- ERISA disablity insurance claim: pre-existing condition denial overturned for executive
- Executive assistant recieves confidential settlement from USAA Life for long-term disability policy
- Federal Express (“FEDEX”) thought their disability insurance plan was governed by ERISA, but attorneys Dell & Schaefer and the US Southern District Court of Florida disagree
- Former government bond trader and 9-11 survivor receives more than one million dollars in long-term disability benefits
- Former options trader receives confidential long-term disability settlement 10 years after his original claim was denied
- Hartford agrees to lump-sum buyout of long-term disability policy for account executive
- Hartford and Unum approve long-term disability benefits for disabled radiologist
- Hartford approves long-term disability benefits for teaching assistant with multiple sclerosis
- Lincoln Financial approves long-term disability benefits for financial advisor injured in car accident
- Mass Mutual approves long-term disability benefits in excess of $12,000 a month for a financial advisor suffering from musclar dystrohpy (FSHD)
- Mass Mutual attempts to deny disability benefits to OBGYN after ten years on claim
- MetLife approves long term disability benefits for senior sales manager in the medical supply industry
- Neurosurgeon awarded partial disability benefits
- Podiatrist receives lump-sum buyout at pre-suit mediation with long-term disability insurer
- Prudential pays computer system engineer’s ERISA disability benefits after 3 unsuccessful appeals by the insured and his previous attorney
- Prudential reinstates long-term disability benefits to sales specialist following appeal filed by attorneys Dell & Schaefer
- Prudential reverses denial on second appeal & pays $260,000 in past due disability benefits to OBGYN
- Psychiatrist receives $375,000 long-term disability insurance buyout
- Real estate agent recieves lump sum settlement from Unum Provident after appeal is filed
- The Standard Insurance Company’s denial of disability benefits is reversed on appeal
- Unum approves dentist for residual/partial long-term disability benefits
- Unum approves long-term disability benefits for a trial attorney suffering from diabetic neuropathy
- Unum approves opthamologist for long-term total disabilty benefits
- Unum challenges the long term disability claim of a blind salesman
- Unum Provident and Monarch Life Insurance Company pay total disability to dentist
- Unum Provident approves physiologist’s claim for disability benefits
- Unum Provident pays advertising executive total disability benefits
- Unum Provident pays total disability benefits to a chiropractor with breast cancer
- Teacher suffering from Sjorgen’s syndrome, fibromyalgia and other conditions receives lump-sum buyout following denial of long-term disability benefits
- Liberty Mutual reverses denial of short-term disability benefits and approves long-term disability benefits for advertising account manager
- Jefferson Pilot’s denial of long-term disability benefits to a quality control manager is reversed
Disability Cases Nationwide
- Prudential has strategies to reduce Long Term Disability claim payments
- MetLife Threatens Lawsuit Against Disability Insurance Attorneys For Copyright Infringement
- ERISA Pre-emption: When does ERISA apply to a short term disability insurance plan?
- Lloyd’s of London ordered to pay over 6 million dollars to long term disability claimant
- Hartford scrutinizes long term disability benefit claim after 13 years of continuous disability payments
- CNN article discussing disabling chronic pain conditions for women
- Liberty Mutual is sued for denial of long term disability benefits to woman suffering with fibromyalgia
- Disability Insurance Compnay Cigna Earns $294 Million in Second Quarter
- Missouri District court must reconsider Fort Dearborn Life’s Long Term Disability denial under a de novo standard
- Fort Dearborn denies long term disability benefits to woman with fibromyalgia and CFS
- Liberty Mutual and Wachovia interpret migraine headaches to be psychiatric and not disabling (Part I)
- Appellate Court finds Wachovia and Liberty Mutual’s review of objective evidence of disabling migraine headaches was unreasonable (Part II)
- Court agrees with Unum’s denial of long term disability benefits to man suffering with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis (Part II)
- Unum relies on independent medical exam as basis for denying long-term disability benefits (Part I)
- Over $500,000 of disability insurance benefits will be paid to disabled store manager following MetLife’s wrongful denial (Part II)
- MetLife denies long term disability benefits to sears store manager with heart disease and knee problems (Part I)
- Liberty Life Assurance ordered to pay long term disability benefits but not attorney fees
- Liberty Mutual’s denial of LTD benefits to woman with back disorder is reversed by Minnesota Court and affirmed by Appellate Court
- Unum has no right to recover $207,894.88 overpayment of long term disability benefits to attorney
- Hartford uses video surveillance to deny disability benefits after paying for 10 years
- MetLife denies LTD disability benefits to multiple sclerosis woman alleging a 3 year Statue of Limitation in Washington
- MetLife denies chronic fatigue syndrome long term disability claim
- New York court rules that MetLife abused discretion when it denied chronic fatigue claim (Part II)
- Disability attorney wins claim for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome client against Unum Provident (Part II)
- Unum Provident denies short-term disability claim to woman with chronic fatigue syndrome (Part I)
- Beware of buried language in Prudential long term disability insurance policy
- The Standard Disability Insurance Company paid one doctor $577,000 to review 1,939 files over 2 years
- Unum Provident terminates disability benefits to woman with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) (Part I)
- Arizona Court rules Provident wrongfully terminated disability benefits to insurance manager with CFS (Part II)
- Harvard University ordered to pay $53,817.50 in attorney fees to disability insurance claimant
- Disability battle against Verizon and Broadspire long-term disability plan lingers in courts for years
- Broadspire ordered to pay disability insurance benefits but not attorney fees
- Aetna denial of long-term disability benefits for chronic fatigue syndrome upheld by Court
- Court orders Citigroup and MetLife to answer discovery request exposing conflict of interest in long-term disability benefit denial
- HM Life and Broadspire wrongfully deny disability insurance benefits to a receptionist and 9th Circuit Court of Appeals reverses claim denial
- ERISA disability claimants can receive attorney fees with “some degree of success”
- Boston Mutual can not recover $163,000 overpayment to long-term disability claimant (Part II)
- Was Boston Mutual’s decision to terminate long-term disability insurance correct? (Part I)
- FedEx employee disability plan wrongfully denies LTD benefits without proving job exists for man to fill
- Hartford pays disability benefits for 12 years and then uses video surveillance to deny benefits
- Are attorney fees payable in long term disability insurance cases governed by ERISA?
- Dentist and doctors: beware of the Standard Insurance Company Group’s long-term disability policy
- MetLife denies long-term disability benefits to a consultant after approving them
- MetLife ordered to reverse denial of long-term disability insurance benefits
- Unum denies disability benefits to a Minnesota legal secretary with pre-existing condition
- Life Insurance Company of North America (CIGNA) ordered to supply information to disability insurance attorneys
- LINA (CIGNA) denies long-term disability benefits to yellowbook Account Executive
- Life Insurance Company Of North America (CIGNA) wrongfully denies disability benefits to a Kentucky repairman
- Did LINA wrongfully deny disability payments to claimant with multiple sclerosis? (Part II)
- CIGNA (LINA) terminates disability payments to woman with multiple sclerosis
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