Attorney Jay Symonds

Jay P. Symonds is a Partner in the Disability Income Division of Dell Disability Lawyers. Jay focuses his legal practice in representing claimants at all stages of a disability insurance claim with a large percentage of his work dedicated to ERISA based administrative appeals and litigation.

Jay is a 1997 cum laude graduate from New England Law and received his undergraduate degree in 1991 from Bentley University, where he received a B.S. in Finance. Jay spent the first part of his career gaining invaluable experience serving as in-house and outside counsel for several prominent U.S. Disability Insurance carriers. As legal counsel for insurance carriers he managed lawsuits nationwide involving insured and reinsured group life and disability plans under ERISA. Jay’s expertise with disability insurance matters was used to provide training and risk assessment to disability claims and appeals units regarding administrative services and proper claims practices, procedures and investigations. Today, Jay uses his experience to help claimants who are unfairly denied employee benefits from insurance carriers including disability and life insurance benefits under the federal ERISA statute.

Attorney Jay Symonds

Get to Know Attorney Jay Symonds

Jay's Client Reviews
(31)

Jay's Resolved Cases
(39)
Showing 8 of 39 Disability Cases

Lincoln overturned its previous denial of LTD benefits for Escalation Engineer

Our client, Mr. E, formerly worked as an Escalation Engineer for a national data services and data management company. For many years Mr. E suffered from chronic debilitating effects of multiple physical conditions and ailments, including Chronic Intractable Migraines, which left him with debilitating physical and cognitive impairments. Mr. E was unwilling to give up his career and worked as long as he pos... Read More >

Aetna Overturns Denial of Long Term Disability Benefits for Quality Control Manager

Our client, Mr. J, formerly worked as a Quality Control Manager for a large home furnishings store. For many years Mr. J suffered from the debilitating effects of his chronic, organic medical conditions and associated cognitive deficits, including transient cerebral ischemia and chronic migraines, which left him with significant physical and cognitive impairments. As a result of his serious medical conditions ... Read More >

After Appeal, Lincoln Overturns Denial of LTD benefits for Trucking Supervisor

Our client, Mr. D, formerly worked as a Trucking Supervisor for a large steel distribution center. For many years Mr. D suffered from chronic debilitating effects of multiple physical conditions and ailments, including severe degenerative osteoarthritis and cervical spine multilevel degenerative disc disease, which left him with debilitating physical impairments. Mr. D was unwilling to give up his career and w... Read More >

Sun Life Overturns Its Previous Denial of LTD Benefits for Massachusetts Teacher

Our client, Ms. L, formerly worked as a Technology Teacher for a public high school in Massachusetts. For many years Ms. L suffered from chronic debilitating effects of multiple physical conditions and ailments, including most notably severe degenerative joint disease and osteoarthritis, which left her with debilitating physical pain and occupational impairments. Ms. L was unwilling to give up his career and w... Read More >

CIGNA Overturned Their Denial of LTD Benefits for Nevada Healthcare Coordinator

Our client, Ms. G, formerly worked as a Healthcare Coordinator for a large regional healthcare provider. For many years Ms. G suffered from chronic debilitating effects of multiple physical conditions and ailments, including, among other conditions, Intractable Pain, Chronic Venous Insufficiency, which left her with debilitating physical and cognitive impairments. Ms. G was unwilling to give up her career and ... Read More >

CIGNA Denies Technology Manager under the Own Occupation Provision & Dell Disability Lawyers Wins Appeal

Our client, Mr. N, formerly worked as a Technology Manager / Vice President for a large bank. For many years Mr. N suffered from chronic debilitating effects of multiple physical conditions and ailments, including, among other conditions, Parkinson’s Disease, Parkinson’s Dementia, Dystonia and Bradykinesia, which left him with debilitating physical and cognitive impairments. Mr. N was unwilling to give up ... Read More >

Reliance Standard overturned its previous denial of long term disability benefits for Texas Retail Store Manager

Our client, Mr. S, formerly worked as a Store Manager for a large national retail chain. In August 2016 Mr. S suffered from multiple Transient Ischemic Attacks (“TIAs”) or mini-strokes which left him with debilitating physical and cognitive impairments. Mr. S made several attempts to return to work failed but continued to suffer slurred speech, headaches, pressure in the back of his head and memory loss, h... Read More >

Reliance Standard overturned LTD denial for Tennessee Technology Sales Consultant

Our client, Mr. L, formerly worked as a Sales Consultant for a global technology company. In September 2014 a number of medical issues following an ischemic stroke forced Mr. L to stop working and submit his claim for disability benefits under his employer's long-term disability (LTD) policy, which was funded and administered by Reliance Standard. Under his employer's disability policy he would be considered t... Read More >
Jay's Answered Questions
(48)
Showing 8 of 48 Answered Questions

Q: Can The Hartford offset my LTD on my VA disability compensation or back pay?

Answered on November 14th 2024 by Attorney Jay Symonds
A: Tim, the Policy will define what other sources of income can offset or reduce your monthly benefit. Not all Po... Read More >

Q: Am I able to collect disability or SSI?

Answered on August 5th 2024 by Attorney Jay Symonds
A: Steve: Do you have disability coverage through an individual or employer provided group plan? Even if you do n... Read More >

Q: Denied by Hartford for Long-Term Disability Benefits

Answered on August 5th 2024 by Attorney Jay Symonds
A: Darlene: You certainly want to appeal their denial. I suggest you contact our office and speak with one of the... Read More >

Q: Do the new Social Security work history rules make a difference with my any job LTD denial?

Answered on August 5th 2024 by Attorney Jay Symonds
A: Leo: Private insurance carriers are not required to consider SSA rules/regulations. This does not mean, howeve... Read More >

Q: Unable to Work Due to My Mental Health

Answered on August 1st 2024 by Attorney Jay Symonds
A: Maryann: We would need to see the denial letter(s) to understand the basis for the Carrier’s denial(s). I su... Read More >

Q: I made a Short term disability claim with Prudential but they right away went to consider long term disability

Answered on August 1st 2024 by Attorney Jay Symonds
A: Nick: Depending on the timing of when you filed the STD claim, the Elimination period for the LTD may have alr... Read More >

Q: I need help understanding what MMI means in my case. I also need help because I have also been diagnosed with PTSD related to my head injury from the same accident.

Answered on February 15th 2024 by Attorney Jay Symonds
A: Rhonda, you have a complicated situation and we would need to review your STD/LTD coverage certificates before... Read More >

Q: Would I qualify for disability or other program following a planned layoff?

Answered on February 15th 2024 by Attorney Jay Symonds
A: Robert, you can apply for and receive disability benefits under your employer’s group plan prior to your sch... Read More >
Jay's Disability Videos
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Showing 1 of 1 Videos
Jay's Disability Benefit Tips
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Showing 2 of 2 Benefit Tips

If I Have Physical and Mental Disabling Conditions Will My Disability Benefit Be Subject to a Limited Pay Period?

The answer to this question is very fact specific in each case. Not every disability policy has a limited pay period for a mental condition. Most employer provided long term disability policies will limit mental health disabilities to either 12 or 24 months. In the situation where a claimant has both physical and mental disabilities, then it still may be possibl... Read More >

Can my severance agreement eliminate my right to claim disability insurance benefits?

It is a common occurrence for a disabled employee to be offered a severance agreement when they can no longer work due to a disabling medical condition. An employee must take great caution as the severance agreement may eliminate all future rights to any short or long term disability benefits. Here is an example of a potential client that recently contacted us. Employee began working in the finance department ... Read More >
Jay's Disability Lawsuit Stories
(24)
Showing 8 of 24 Lawsuit Stories

Court Rules Plaintiff's Medical Records Was Replete With Evidence Supporting Claim of MS & Was Not A Pre-Existing Condition

BackgroundIn Bayer v. Unum Life Insurance Company of America, C.A. No. 18-9702 (E.D. LA 2020), Plaintiff began working as a senior property manager for Sealy Operating III, Inc., in September 2014. According to Sealy’s written job description, Plaintiff’s job duties included maintaining properties in good order and condition by contracting and scheduling necessary repairs and maintenance, con... Read More >

Court Rules That Aetna’s Failure To Consider Plaintiff’s Actual Job Duties Was Arbitrary And Capricious

Aetna’s Rationale for DenialIn Patterson v. Aetna Life Insurance Company, C.A. No. 17-3566 (3rd Cir. 2019) through his employer, First Consulting Group, Inc. (“FCG”), is a pharmaceutical consulting firm, Patterson became covered by a long-term disability policy underwritten by Aetna. Patterson’s occupation with FCG was characterized as “Director, Busin... Read More >

Court Rules That MetLife Improperly Limited Proof Of Claim To Only Objective Data

In Roberts v. Metro. Life Ins. Co., C.A. No. 6:18-cv-725-TMC (D. S.C. Sept. 3, 2019), Plaintiff worked for IBM for more than eighteen (18) years when he stopped working in September 2010 due to intractable migraine headaches and cervical pain. He filed claims for Social Security (“SS”) disability benefits and short term disability (STD) benefits with MetLife, which is the claims adminis... Read More >

Court Rules That MetLife Did Not Consider The Material Duties Of Claimants Occupation

In Monroe v. Metro. Life Ins. Co., 2020 WL 143005 (E.D. Cal. March 24, 2020), Plaintiff worked for Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. (“Kaiser”) until 2014 when chronic lumbar back pain caused her stop working. She applied for long term disability benefits (LTD) but was denied. Plaintiff hen filed suit under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”) to recover benefits due to her.... Read More >

1st Circuit Affirms Holding That Claim Is Not Subject To Pre-Existing Condition Provision

In Lavery v. Restoration Hardware Long Term Disability Benefits Plan, 2019 WL 4155038 (1st Cir. September 3, 2019), Plaintiff John Lavery ("Lavery"), who was disabled following a diagnosis of malignant melanoma, brought claims under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act ("ERISA") against Defendants Restoration Hardware Long Term Disability Benefits Plan ("the Plan") and Aetna Life Insurance Company ("Aet... Read More >

District Court Holds That Reliance Standard Did Not Properly Consider Whether Traveling Nurse Could Perform The Material Duties Of Her Regular Occupation

In Sue Ray v. Reliance Standard Life Insurance Company, W.D. Washington, July 31, 2018, Plaintiff filed suit under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”) to recover long-term disability (“LTD”) benefits, which Reliance Standard denied on the ground that plaintiff could perform her “Regular Occupation” and was therefore not “disabled” within the meaning of the LTD policy a... Read More >

9th Circuit Holds That Release In Plaintiff's Wrongful Termination Lawsuit Bars Subsequent ERISA Benefits Claim

In Thomas A. Gonda, Jr., M.D. v Permanente Medical Group, Inc., et. al., plaintiff Thomas Gonda, a thoracic surgeon for The Permanente Medical Group, Inc., suffered double vision, headaches, memory loss, and difficulty focusing on and completing tasks following an accident in which he was hit by a car while riding a Segway. The accident also caused an exacerbation in Dr. Gonda’s long standing problems w... Read More >

District Court Affords Greater Weight To SSDI Award Than Surveillance Footage

In Rouleau v. Liberty Life Assurance Company of Boston, plaintiff Michelle Rouleau, a Registered Nurse (RN) for a Hospital, had a history of intractable lower back pain dating back many years. As an employee of the Hospital, she was covered by a Group Long-Term Disability Insurance policy issued by Liberty Life (Liberty).Benefit ProvisionsUnder the terms of the LTD Policy, the definition of disabi... Read More >

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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