Can Hartford be punished for wrongful denial of a disability insurance claim?

Just a question from someone who has dealt with the Hartford Insurance Company. I was approved for SSDI, and I got approval for the Hartford LTD. They paid just long enough to where I got my premiums back, so I quit dealing with them – not worth the tooth and claw fighting.

My question is that one can tell that these claims people have been TRAINED to lie. So why is this business not shut down for fraud, RICCO, or whatever? Why don’t people go to jail, is what I’m asking? Surely some of their actions are jail-worthy. Why not more “teeth” in their punishment – besides just paying back payments?

Sharon T.

Sharon,

You ask a great question and the answer is that the insurance lobby has been strong for years and most politicians are not willing to go against their biggest donors in order to change the federal laws. The ERISA law was initially intended to protect claimants, but over the past 40 years the courts have managed to distort the law and create a pro-insurance company bias. There are a lot of good court cases out there that help claimants. Our job is to keep the insurance companies honest and make them pay the disability claims that should be paid. Insurance companies pay claims, but unfortunately they often get it wrong and wrongfully deny claimants. With proper representation and strong medical documentation a claimant can usually prevail.

Attorney Greg Dell


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