Dentist Wins LTD Insurance Settlement for Back Disorders

Our client enjoyed a long and successful career in the dental profession. That he enjoyed this profession was emphasized by his many achievements and advancements within his career. Unfortunately, in mid-2003 he began to experience intense muscle spasms and severe pain in his lower back that moved down his left buttock and leg. Seeking answers and relief, our client immediately sought medical treatment from various specialists and underwent many tests, all to no avail. For some time, our client pushed through his pain and continued working, fearful to lose everything he had worked so hard to obtain.

However, as his condition continued to deteriorate and his pain continued to intensify, our client subsequently applied for disability benefits through his insurer under the terms of his contract. Our client provided the insurer with all relevant documentation, responded to all of their requests in an expeditious manner, and on several occasions even followed up with the insurer to inquire as to whether more information would be needed. The insurance company, however, was not as diligent in its processing and review of our client’s claim. Indeed, the insurance company continuously and unreasonably ignored deadlines, caused undue delays, and committed accounting errors, ultimately amounting to bad claims handling.

In response to the insurance company’s unreasonable actions, we fought for benefits extensively at the administrative level and ultimately filed lawsuit. After several months of litigation and depositions of our client and his treating physicians, the insurance carrier settled for a confidential lump-sum buyout. This case was handled by Attorney Gregory Dell.