Unum

• Disability Claim Forms

• Unum Disability Application Form

Unum is the world’s largest individual disability insurance carrier. Unum’s predecessor, Union Mutual Life Insurance Company, was founded in 1848, and is currently headquartered in Chattanooga, TN. It was one of the first major U.S. mutual insurance companies to convert to public ownership, forming Unum Corporation in 1986.

Corporate parent company Unum Group consists of three divisions: Unum US (headquartered in Chattanooga), Unum UK (headquartered in Dorking, England), and Colonial Life (headquartered in Columbia, SC). Unum Group employs approximately 10,000 people and has significant operations in Chattanooga; Columbia; Dorking; Portland, Maine; Worcester, Massachusetts; and Glendale, California; and field offices in 38 major U.S. cities.

In 1997 Provident completed the acquisition of rival insurer The Paul Revere Corporation and its subsidiaries. It also acquired GENEX Services, Inc., which provides disability case management, vocational rehabilitation and related services to corporations, third party administrators and insurance companies. Unum and Provident merged in 1999, creating UnumProvident Corporation. Following a rebranding effort in 2006-2007, the company shortened its name to Unum in January 2007.

Unum became the focus of negative media attention in 2002, after several plaintiffs’ attorneys who had sued the company went to national television outlets and state attorney general offices claiming that the company had quotas for closing claims. In December 2004, the company and several states entered into a regulatory settlement agreement. The agreement reached with the company in 2004 included making significant changes in corporate governance such as adding three new directors subject to approval of state insurance regulators to its Board of Directors, implementing new claims procedures and standards for claims processing, enhancing and implementing new internal quality controls, and requiring hands-on involvement of its Board of Directors in ensuring successful implementation of the new processes. The agreement also included continuous oversight, such as quarterly evaluations and monitoring the company by Maine’s insurance regulators as well as other lead states.

The agreement also required a significant claim reassessment process of previously denied or terminated disability claims from approximately January 1997 through 2004. The claim reassessment process and the subsequent examinations are now complete. Applying newly prescribed, industry review standards, the process reversed, in whole or in part, 41.7% of the claims reassessed resulting in a cumulative total of approximately $676.2 million of additional benefits to consumers across the nation. Additionally Unum was fined approximately $15 million.

Total assets for Unum were $49.4 billion as of 31 December 2008.

Disability Attorneys Dell & Schaefer have provided and offer the following legal services for disability claimants that have a long-term disability insurance policy or disability income policy purchased from Unum:

• Application for long-term disability benefits with Unum
• Application for short-term disability benefits with Unum
• Monthly claim handling of Unum long-term disability insurance claims
• Appeal of a Unum denial of long-term disability benefits
• ERISA appeal of a Unum denial of long-term disability benefits
• Lawsuit against Unum for denial of long-term disability benefits
• Lump-sum buyout of a Unum long-term disability insurance policy
• Department of Insurance complaints against Unum for wrongful delay and denial of long-term disability benefits

For assistance with your Unum disability insurance claim, please fill out our contact us form or call Attorneys Dell & Schaefer for a free consultation at 800-682-8331.

Resolved Cases

• Unum’s claim handling exposes them to a multi-million dollar bad faith disability lawsuit
• $4.3 million in disability benefits for general surgeon following UNUM jury verdict
• A general surgeon and his legal team at Dell & Schaefer win disability insurance jury trial against Unum
• 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
• Attorneys Dell And Schaefer obtain lump sum buy-out of an Unum long term disability insurance policy for a drywall contractor
• Dentist wins appeal and UNUM Provident pays disability benefits
• Hartford and Unum approve long-term disability benefits for disabled radiologist
• Real estate agent recieves lump sum settlement from Unum Provident after appeal is filed
• Unum approves dentist for residual/partial long-term disability benefits