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Application Tips: Northwestern Mutual Disability Benefits - Top Denial Reasons

Presented by Attorney Cesar Gavidia

Cesar Gavidia is a Partner at Dell Disability Lawyers who has helped thousands of claimants recover tens of millions of dollars in long-term disability benefits. Cesar began working as a law clerk at the firm in 2003 and has dedicated his entire legal career to disability insurance. He has assisted claimants in nearly every state, across all occupations — including surgeons, dentists, lawyers, judges, and corporate executives. Cesar has litigated against every major disability insurance company and has gained unparalleled knowledge about their internal claims handling processes. He is admitted to the State Bars of Florida and California.

Published Nov 3, 2020. Last modified Apr 4, 2023.

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We help claimants throughout the entire application process.

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

Northwestern Mutual Reviews

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1.7 out of 5

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28%

Timely Payments

2.3out of 5

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2.6out of 5

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Showing 4 of 7 Reviews

Northwestern Mutual

Northwestern thinks I can walk even though my left leg is paralyzed

Reviewed by Dave B on July 7th 2019 Verified Policyholder

My Northwestern Disability policy has a presumptive total clause which pays lifetime benefits for loss of use of one hand and one foot. They Have claimed I do not fulfill ...

Northwestern Mutual

Northwestern is the Quiet Company that silently screws its policy holders but is too big to fail

Reviewed by Magda S. on August 8th 2018 Verified Policyholder

I am a board certified cardiologist with severe diabetic comorbidities. I have had occupation specific DI policies with NML since 1980. I am now legally blind, have no fee...

Northwestern Mutual

My claim was handled so unprofessionally – almost no written communication from NW Mutual

Reviewed by B.J. Robinson on April 19th 2015 Verified Policyholder

While waiting for NW Mutual’s decision on my claim for LTD benefits, I was terminated. The following week, NW Mutual sent me a letter denying my claim. Denial was seemin...

Reply

Sent on April 19th 2015 by Attorney Stephen Jessup

BJ, you will have rights to appeal this denial. If you have not already done so please feel free to contact our office to discuss how we can assist you.

Northwestern Mutual

NWM refused to have a hematologist review my claim since my "numbers are currently normal." They ignored my primary concern of relapsing

Reviewed by JP on March 27th 2015 Verified Policyholder

Hi there. I have a chronic autoimmune disease that has temporarily placed me on LTD 5 times over the last 18 years. I currently am in remission although I remain on severa...

Reply

Sent on March 27th 2015 by Attorney Stephen Jessup

JP, I think your claim could be in a grey area if the issue is not a current flare up causing disability as defined under the policy, but merely the risk of relapse. Never...

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Answered Questions by Our Lawyers

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Showing 4 of 13 Answered Questions

Q: What do I do if my attending physician's office tells me it is their office policy to not fill out Attending Physician Statements for any patient for LTD benefits?

Answered on June 18th 2025 by Attorney Gregory Dell

A: This is a big problem. You need to find a treating doctor that will complete paperwork. Northwestern Mutual re...

Q: I have tinnitus which has disabled me. And led to depression. They approved depression for 24 months. That time is coming to an end. My tinnitus prevents me from doing my primary job. How do I appeal?

Answered on January 28th 2025 by Attorney Gregory Dell

A: If your tinnitus is disabling you, then your long term disability benefits should not be limited to 24 months....

Q: Do you help with negotiating lump sum settlements of policies?

Answered on August 11th 2020 by Attorney Stephen Jessup

A: Marcella, yes, we do assist in negotiating lump sum settlements of policies. Northwestern Mutual is very selec...

Q: Are there successful arguments to appeal Northwestern Mutual’s offset of claimant’s LTB by the amount of SSD benefits awarded?

Answered on April 23rd 2020 by Attorney Stephen Jessup

A: Carol, in almost all cases, no. If the policy explicitly allows for the offset, the offset is enforceable.

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Helpful Videos

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Disability Benefit Tips

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Application Tips: Northwestern Mutual Disability Benefits - Top Denial Reasons

Every disability insurance policy is different, and whether your disability insurance claim is approved depends on many factors: the definition of disability in your policy, your medical condition, the thoroughness of your treating physicians in documenting your claims, and more. Our disability insurance attorneys at Dell Disability Lawyers have helped hundreds ...

Tips to Protect Your Northwestern Mutual Long Term Disability Benefits

Whether you're considering filing a long term disability insurance claim with Northwestern Mutual, have recently received a denial letter, or are just hoping to keep your current monthly disability benefits, it's a good idea to do your homework before you contact Northwestern. This disability insurance carrier has a reputation for being fair - especially when compared to some of the other biggest names in disa...

What Can I Expect When Seeking Long Term Disability Benefits from Northwestern Mutual?

In this video, disability insurance attorneys Stephen Jessup and Gregory Dell discuss multiple things that a Northwestern Mutual disability claimant should be aware of when seeking long term disability benefits. Northwestern is one of the better disability insurance companies and as a result a long term disability claimant needs to always be prepared to prove th...

Why Must Your Disability Insurance Lawyer Understand Your Disabling Condition?

When it comes to securing your disability insurance benefits, it's vitally important that your disability insurance lawyer thoroughly understands the symptoms and impact of your disabling condition. Doctors can help you create strong medical records, but they're not accustomed to dealing with the rigorous documentation disability insurance companies require. Lea...

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Our Resolved Cases

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Showing 4 of 387 Our Resolved Cases

Commercial Real Estate Agent with Lyme Wins Northwestern Mutual Appeal

Northwestern Mutual denied a self-employed Texas commercial real estate agent's long-term disability claim by farming his file out to four separate paper reviewers — and then denied it a second time after his treating doctors disagreed. None of those reviewers ever examined him. None of them treated Lyme disease.Our client had spent years building a succes...

Northwestern Mutual Approves Claim For Disability Benefits

Prior to contacting our office, our client was having little success in securing his disability insurance benefits under his privately purchased individual disability policy with Northwestern Mutual. Our client, the sole owner and employee of a small lawn care business, suffered an eye injury that required surgery and left his vision severly compromised. Left with only one properly functioning eye his doctor a...

After appeal filed by Attorney Jay Symonds, NWM overturned its previous denial of long term disability benefits for California Customer Relations Supervisor

Our client, Ms. D, formerly worked as a Customer relations Supervisor in at an Institutional Investments firm. In February 2014 a number of medical issues, including chronic pain, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren’s syndrome, Behcet’s syndrome, neuropathic pain, chronic migraine, diffuse connective tissue disease forced Ms. D to stop working and submit her claim for disability benefits under her employer’s l...

Northwestern Mutual Reinstates Disability Benefits to Attorney Suffering From Gastrointestinal Problems

Prior to filing for long term disability benefits under her private individual disability policy with Northwestern Mutual due to severe gastrointestinal medical conditions, our client was a courtroom attorney in civil practice. Due to the multiple complications associated with her conditions she began to experience ever increasing difficulty being able to maintain the demands of being in Court and began decrea...

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Disability Lawsuit Stories

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Showing 4 of 766 Lawsuit Stories

9th Circuit Clarifies The Definition Of "Sedentary Work"

In Armani v. Northwest Mutual, plaintiff Avery Armani, a Controller for an insurance agency, injured his back while lifting a heavy back-up power supply at work. As an employee of the insurance agency, he was covered by a Group Long-Term Disability Insurance policy issued by Northwest Mutual (NWM).Benefit ProvisionsUnder the terms of the LTD Policy, the definition of disability changed after benef...

Northwestern Mutual Disability Claim Denial Reversed By Court

A Colorado court recently brought down a very harsh ruling against Northwestern for blatantly abusing its discretion in denying long-term disability benefits to a Colorado Family Law Attorney (Mr. M) who suffered congestive heart failure and underwent aortic valve replacement surgery and thoracic aortic aneurysm repair.Two interesting issues were addressed by the Court in its ruling. The first is the appli...

California Consultant sues Northwestern Life Insurance Company for unpaid disability benefits

Northwestern Insurance beneficiary Todd W. and his California disability attorney's complaint against the insurer accuses Northwestern of breach of the Duty of Good Faith and Fair Dealing and Breach of Contract in response to its denial of Todd W.'s disability benefits.Citing an advertisement of Northwestern Insurance Mutual Life Insurance Company as the reason why Todd W. first purchased a Northwestern be...

Northwestern Mutual sued by shareholder attorney for underpaying and denying long-term disability benefits

A Washington disability attorney filed a federal lawsuit in the District Court serving the Western District Court of Washington at Seattle against Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (Northwestern). The Plaintiff, Scott D., worked as a shareholder attorney at a law firm in the state of Washington. Plaintiff was covered under a long-term disability policy purchased from Northwestern, who was contracted b...

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Reviews from Our Clients

Keith G.

They were very professional with their responds and on time with keeping you inform about everything with your case. I would recommend My lawyer Stephen Jessup, he was on point with everything, thank you. You guys are awesome people to work with. God bless you guys.

Keith L.

I was not able to work as a physician for about 14 months due to neck/back issues. Even though I had 3 medical doctors explicitly state that I was not to work AT ALL as a physician at that time, New York Life (NYL) Disability Insurance denied my long term disability claim (which apparently they deny a high percentage of people similar to me- only they know why they do this to so many- I have my own suspicions). I was in pain from my medical issues and so frustrated with NYL considering I had many bills coming due. I then decided to call Dell Disability Lawyers. One of their attorneys, Alex Palamara, spoke to me on the phone right then to hear and understand my story and then offer ways he could help. Long story short, within a few months of me returning back to work, he was able to persuade NYL to pay me my long term disability claim. He (and his kind assistant, Tabitha) were always very helpful, informative, and available to me. I feel quite certain that NYL would NEVER have paid me what was appropriate based on my insurance agreement/ contract with them without the help of Alex. I highly recommend him/Dell Disability Lawyers. If you find yourself in a similar situation of disability insurance denial of your own personal/group policy, especially if you are a medical provider/physician like me, then consider contacting them for advice/direction PRIOR to appealing your claim on your own.

Kyle D.

Jay Symonds and his assistant, Sonia helped me tremendously. The insurance company that worked for my former employer did everything they could to make my life literally miserable. That all changed when I hired Jay. He and Sonia fought for my rights and forced the insurance company to pay what they should have.

If you have a disability claim hire Jay as if you go it alone the insurance company will screw you. Jay and Sonia will fight for everything you are entitled for. I couldn’t recommend them more highly.

Frank R.

I cannot say enough positive things about my experience with Dell Disability Lawyers. Attorney Stephen Jessup and Amanda offered an opportunity to provide clarity on a complex issue regarding my disability claim. Mr. Jessup offered advice on an offset to my claim after my insurance company asked for additional information from Social Security. With counsel from Mr. Jessup, I was able to address the outstanding issue with the Social Security office and provide my insurance company with the required documentation to address their concerns. Mr. Jessup always responded in a timely manner with expert advice and offered the opportunity for follow up. I strongly recommend Dell Disability Lawyers to those seeking legal counsel for disability matters.

Wesley D.

I have been able to help others as a soldier, a police officer, and a pharmacist. I needed help forcing the insurance company to keep their commitment to take care of me and my family. I called Dell. Alex, Tabitha, and their entire team were very compassionate, extremely patient, and extraordinarily knowledgeable. Many thanks Dell!

Samar A.

My husband had applied for Long Term Disability and was denied. We sought out Rachel Alters at Dell Disability Lawyers to help us with our appeal. Rachel and her team were so diligent and meticulous in every aspect of the process. The process was seamless, and we never had any doubts that she would get it done and that she did! We are forever grateful to Rachel and Catherine for all of their determination and tenacity to get us the outcome we needed and deserved.

We could not recommend better representation and are indebted to them for making us whole again. Thank you so much Rachel and team!

Jam

Alex Palamara is one of The Best lawyers in the world and Dell Disability Lawyers are the Best by Far. Alex and his Assistant Tabitha helped me get the compensation I needed for a Horrific Disabling heath condition I’ve been dealing with for over a year. Alex and his team were so professional and caring. They treated me like I was there own family. Alex Knowledge, Expertise and skills as a Lawyer is among the Best of the Best in his field and I would HIGHLY recommend that if you ever have any issues with any Insurance Company over your Disability issues, please don’t hesitate to seek out Dell Disability and Alex Palamara. They truly are Amazing and caring. Thank God for them. Outstanding Job Alex and Tabitha

G.T.

9 years ago when I had to apply for disability benefits from my private disability policy the insurance company ignored my inquiries until Dell and Schaefer represented me and I have received the benefits without interruption til my policy expired at age 65. I have appreciated not having to deal directly with the insurance company and having attorney Greg Dell and assistant Danielle Lauria handle all communications which included monthly progress reports. I thank them for their efforts on my behalf and highly recommend them to all those in need of disability benefits.

Misty A.

I’m so thankful I chose to reach out to the attorneys at Dell. They have always been quick to respond to any and all questions I have had. The anxiety I had while dealing with Lincoln Financial on my own has decreased immensely since Alex and Danielle took my case. They were able to get my LTD denial reversed and I am so very grateful!

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5 Ways We Help Get Your Benefits Paid

Get Your Disability Application Approved

Our goal is to get your application for disability insurance benefits approved. Applying for disability insurance 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 disability insurance lawyers will guide you through the entire application process and give you the best chance to get your disability claim approved the first time.

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Submit A Strong Appeal Package

If your disability insurance benefits have been wrongfully denied, then our disability insurance 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 long-term disability attorneys for a free immediate review of your disability denial.

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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 insurance attorneys 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.

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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 disability insurance 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.

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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 disability insurance 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.

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Questions About Hiring Us

Who are Dell Disability Lawyers?

We are disability insurance attorneys 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.

Our attorneys have been able to either get our clients paid monthly disability benefits or obtain a one-time lump-sum settlement in more than 98% of our cases. Our disability insurance 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 offer disability insurance attorney representation nationwide and we welcome you to contact any of our LTD lawyers 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 900 videos and regularly provide tips to help protect your disability benefits.

Who do you help?

Our disability insurance attorneys 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 insurance 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, or video conferencing sessions. 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 insurance 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.

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