Our Lawyers Get Your Long-Term Disability Benefits Paid
98% percent of our clients collect disability benefits. We have helped thousands of disability insurance claimants throughout the USA to collect hundreds of millions of dollars of disability insurance benefits. Thank you for considering our law firm to help you.
You can greatly increase your chances of long term disability insurance benefit approval by learning all about the claim handling tactics of your disability insurance company.
Discover How Your Disabling Condition Should be Presented to Your Disability Company
Disability insurance companies always argue that Diagnosis does not equal disability. Proving that your medical condition is disabling is the most challenging aspect of any long term disability insurance claim.
Explore How Disability Companies Evaluate Your Occupation
Disability insurance companies are notorious for minimizing your occupational duties. This technique is used as a tool to prove that you can perform duties which differ from the job you actually performed while working.
Knowledge is Power. We Want You To Know Everything About Disability Insurance Claims.
We hope you enjoy these great resources and we invite you to ask our lawyers any questions or leave a review about your experience with your disability insurance company.
Established in 1979, we are a nationwide law firm that helps individuals collect disability insurance benefits. Through our experience of helping thousands of claimants throughout the USA to collect over $500 million in disability benefits, we know exactly what it takes to get your benefits paid. We welcome you to contact us for a free phone consultation with one of our lawyers.
What to Expect in a MetLife Disability Benefit Denial Lawsuit
You probably feel as if the Appeal review conducted by MetLife was a sham and you never had a chance to have your MetLife disability benefit denial reversed. Your feeling of being called a liar by MetLife and questioning if it is even worth filing a MetLife disability lawsuit is exactly MetLife’s plan. The sad truth is that the law governing long term disability insurance claims favors disability insurance companies and therefore a high percentage of MetLife disability appeal denials are upheld. MetLife hopes that you will just go away and that they can strong arm you to return to work out of financial necessity. The good news is that with a strong legal strategy your MetLife disability benefit lawsuit can result in a recovery of your disability benefits.
What Should You Expect In A MetLife Disability Lawsuit?
Through our experience of having helped thousands of MetLife disability insurance claimants nationwide, we would like the opportunity to help you win your MetLife disability benefit lawsuit. In order to help you understand what to expect in a MetLife disability lawsuit, Attorneys Gregory Dell and Cesar Gavidia have prepared the MetLife disability lawsuit video below. We encourage you to contact any of our disability insurance lawyers for a free immediate review of your MetLife disability claim denial.
When Can A MetLife Disability Lawsuit Be Filed?
The answer to this question depends on whether you have a claim that is governed by The Employee Retirement Income Security Act, also known as (ERISA). If you have a MetLife disability claim that was provided to you as an employee benefit, then your claim is almost always governed by ERISA. An ERISA disability lawsuit cannot be filed against MetLife until you have received a denial of the appeal you submitted to MetLife.
An ERISA lawsuit usually must be filed within either 3 years of your date of disability or the date of the final disability denial decision. If MetLife fails to make a timely decision on your appeal, you can file suit without having to wait for MetLife’s appeal decision. The law governing time periods to file lawsuits is known as the Statute of Limitations and it is an area of law that is regularly changing and not consistent from state to state. In a Non-ERISA disability benefit claim denial, an appeal is usually not required by MetLife and most lawsuits can be filed 90 days after proof of loss is due but no later than 3 years after the date of denial. In our video below, disability attorneys Stephen Jessup and Gregory Dell discuss the practices of MetLife and the particular strategies MetLife uses to deny disability claims and how the law applies to your MetLife disability appeal or lawsuit.
The period of time in which a lawsuit must be filed can be a complicated analysis determined by a combination of the policy language and the law of the state in which the person was denied. The best thing to do in many cases to avoid a statutory problem is to file a lawsuit as soon as reasonably possible.
Our Clients Have Recovered Lincoln Disability Benefits in 99% of our MetLife Disability Lawsuits
As much as we love to beat up MetLife for their wrongful disability claim denials, we know how to set our egos aside. Our goal for every client is to try to resolve their MetLife claim in the most expedient and efficient manner possible. Upon review of your disability denial letter from MetLife we can immediately let you know if you have a claim that we think we can help you with. We look forward to speaking with you to discuss your options against MetLife.
What Are the Most Challenging Issues in a MetLife Disability Lawsuit?
The most challenging aspect of any disability lawsuit is the fact that your MetLife disability benefit denial is likely governed by ERISA, a pro-insurance company federal law that governs almost all employer-provided disability policies. ERISA was designed so that insurance companies could offer affordable benefits to employees and in return have limited lawsuit expenses if a disability claim is denied. If your disability policy was not provided by your employer, then you will not have to worry about the ERISA lawsuit limitations. In our video below, disability attorneys Stephen Jessup and Gregory Dell discuss the reasons why ERISA makes disability lawsuits against a company like MetLife challenging.
Five Reasons ERISA Disability Laws Favor MetLife
No jury trials are permitted;
No punitive damages;
Very limited discovery;
The Judge usually must apply a standard of review that defers to the insurance company’s conclusion that you are not disabled;
The Judge can remand the case back to MetLife for any additional chance to review the claim and deny it again;
How Much Does Our Firm Charge to Handle a MetLife Disability Lawsuit?
The proper preparation of a lawsuit against MetLife takes a lot of legal time and our law firm is selective in the type and quantity of cases we accept. Providing the highest level of legal work and personal attention to your claim is a fundamental mode of operation for every lawyer in our firm. We are not high volume social security lawyers that are trying to handle disability insurance claims against MetLife.
We have been handling claims against MetLife for over 30 years. We only handle MetLife disability lawsuits on a contingency fee basis. This means that we charge you a percentage of the disability benefits that we recover on your behalf. If we are not successful at recovering any disability benefits for you, then you do not owe us any attorney fees or cost for the work that we have done on your behalf.
More than 90% of the disability lawsuits that we have handled against MetLife have resolved in a one-time lump sum settlement. We encourage you to review some of our MetLife resolved case summaries to learn more about our experience. Most of our MetLife disability lawsuit settlements have confidentiality provisions which limit our ability to discuss specific details about the cases.
Collecting MetLife Disability Benefits Is A Reality
Through our 30+ years of experience suing MetLife and our daily work on behalf of MetLife disability claimants nationwide, we have seen and we are constantly aware of every claims handling technique used by MetLife. We are one of the few law firms in the entire country that has the experience of going through a jury trial and receiving a favorable verdict against MetLife. As a result of our years of battling MetLife we have established a strong reputation and a unique litigation technique that allows us to cut through the traditional 18 to 24 month delay in resolving a MetLife disability lawsuit.
We encourage you to contact any of our disability insurance lawyers to discuss some strategies for a possible resolution of your MetLife disability denial. It is incredible and sad how many people we see give up the fight following a claim denial as they don’t want to deal with MetLife. Our lawyers make the lawsuit process as simple as possible for claimants by requiring almost no time or effort by the claimant to pursue a MetLife lawsuit. Any of our disability lawyers are available for an immediate free phone consultation to discuss your MetLife claim denial.
What are the Top 10 Reasons for MetLife Disability Denials?
MetLife denied the claim based on objective medical evidence
MetLife’s in-house doctor denied the disability claim
With no exam a third party medical company denied a MetLife claim
With functional limitations MetLife denied a disability claim because claimant has the ability to perform sedentary occupation
After a compulsory medical exam a doctor hired by MetLife denied the disability claim
MetLife denied the claim based on a vocational consultant evaluation of employability in another occupation
MetLife ignored claimant’s treating doctor’s opinion of limited work restrictions and denied claim
Based on video surveillance MetLife denied disability claim
My definition of disability changed from own occupation to any occupation and MetLife denied my disability claim
MetLife based your denial on a mental disability and not a physical disability and therefore limited your benefits to 24 months
Reviewed by Allen Cox on August 8th 2023 Verified Policyholder | September 2013 date of disability
PLAY THEIR GAME FIGHT FIRE WITH FIRE.....after getting a copy of the insurance policy from my HR. I nipped a lot of the headaches quickly by calling their bluff word for w... read more >
Diana, I am sorry to hear of this denial and the demand for an overpayment. Please contact us so that we can review your claim and see if we can get you back to receivi... read more >
Reviewed by Brian on June 1st 2021 Verified Policyholder
My wife went through a nightmare with a back surgery for two discs. When the first surgery took place, the Dr. cracked a different vertebrae as they placed the metal rods ... read more >
Reviewed by Tina on March 19th 2021 Verified Policyholder
My husband has STD and LTD with his employer. He was dx with ALS/Lou Gehrig’s Disease Aug 2019, made official after many many test, as of Jan 2020 but continued to work ... read more >
Tina, I am so sorry to hear that MetLife and the employer have been giving you the run around. From everything that you described, your husband’s claim should be a qu... read more >
Reviewed by Deanne on January 31st 2021 Verified Policyholder
Have you ever dealt with a case where the person is receiving LTD benefits but there have been issues with the case manager? For instance, the person was badgered about an... read more >
Deanne: This certainly does not sound like appropriate conduct on the part of the claims personnel. Are you still collecting an LTD benefit? I suggest you contact our o... read more >
Reviewed by Rosanne on December 8th 2020 Verified Policyholder
I was denied my appeal with Metlife, and I am still seeking medical diagnosis for other health issues. I was diagnosed with Chronic Gastritis and am now being tested for R... read more >
Rosanne, I am sorry to hear of your denial. Please contact at once for a free consultation. We should be able to assist you with the next available steps.
Reviewed by Donnette S. on October 14th 2020 Verified Policyholder
I am currently on STD with Metlife due to an accident on July 2nd. The accident broke my femur in have and I was care flighted to a trauma unit in Houston. The body scans ... read more >
Donnette: This is a very unfortunate set of circumstances. Have you received a written denial letter? I suggest you contact our office and speak with one of the attorne... read more >
Reviewed by Tori on September 10th 2020 Verified Policyholder
Are you aware of any class action lawsuits against Metlife Disability over their COLA adjustment method of calculations and application Of COLA? MetLife contacted me this ... read more >
Tori, we are not involved in any class action at this time with MetLife, however, we will gladly review your policy to see if their updated calculations for your COLA a... read more >
MetLife is one of the top five largest group and private disability insurance companies nationwide. As of January 2016 it appears that Met Lif... Read More >
Our client, a former Executive Assistant at American Express, filed a claim with MetLife under American Express's short term disability policy... Read More >
Prior to contacting our office, our client filed a claim for long term disability benefits under his individual disability insurance policy wi... Read More >
Mr. A contacted our firm after being denied benefits by his employer’s group disability carrier, MetLife. He had been working as a superviso... Read More >
Mr. W was working as a Quality Assurance Engineer for a major technology company when he was forced to stop working at the age of 52. He had b... Read More >
To say my client had an intellectually demanding job is an understatement. The corporation he worked for operates in 35 countries and employs ... Read More >
In Monroe v. Metro. Life Ins. Co., 2020 WL 143005 (E.D. Cal. March 24, 2020), Plaintiff worked for Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. (“Kai... Read More >
The Plaintiff in Patricia Ann McNeal v. Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (MetLife), was employed by Alternative Opportunities, Inc. (Altern... Read More >
The case of Dionisio Santana-Diaz v. Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (MetLife) demonstrates how important it is for claimants to present a... Read More >
Very satisfied with the work of this team. Took well care of my case and took all the necessary time to be responsive and attentive when I had questions. Guided me through recovery and returning to normalcy. All thanks to Jason & Tabitha, thank you!
I.P.
I’m extremely satisfied with the experience I have had with this firm from day one. The lawyer who has handled my case, Alex, is very efficient and attentive to all my questions and concerns. They are always aware of how my case has gone and they care about my health. I feel optimistic with them because they are very attentive during the process of my claim. I would not hesitate to recommend families and friends if in any situation they need their services. Kathleen as well has been very well and assisted me with this case. I highly appreciate everything they have done for me.
It’s unfortunate when disability insurance companies come after older disabled policyholders just to help their bottom line. It can be a living nightmare the damage they can do to a family. Dell Disability Lawyers are polite, understanding and knowledgeable. They call you back and answer any question you have no matter how unimportant it can be. The amount of stress they took off of myself and family was incalculable. I recommend them highly to take care of any disability case whether it be filing for benefits or reversing a claim decision. They are outstanding.
Michael A.
I could not have been happier or more appreciative of the hard work they performed on my behalf. I was well briefed on my case and it was closed in a timely manner with a financially successful resolution.
Tonya D.
Mr. Symonds and Sonia as well as everyone else we have worked with throughout this process have been very helpful, professional and caring to our situation. We are very thankful to have this great team on our side.
Without them my LTD company was dropping my plan with me still suffering from my accident, even with doctor’s statements I’m still disabled. The LTD company didn’t want to advance my policy to the next stage of years of pay. Dell Disability Lawyers saved my policy, and helped to enforce the LTD company’s own policy (for its policy holder, me) that I would be covered still under the LTD policy I had paid for at my previous job, when my accident occurred. These lawyers know what they are doing and can help you too. LTD companies will try to drop you when you still need coverage just because they don’t want to pay on your policy anymore. Don’t let them break contract with ya because they are trying to get out of it. Hit em with legal action to ensure the continuation of your policy you paid for. Dell Disability worked very well for me and continue to do so.
Dawn D.
I was denied long term disability benefits from The Hartford after being on it for years. I found Dell Disability Lawyers after doing research online. In a matter of days they responded and explained to me everything that would be done. Dell Disability Lawyers were able to settle my suit against The Hartford very quickly and responded to me quickly. I would definitely recommend this team of lawyers for anyone that is fighting for their disability insurance.
I have had nothing but a great experience with Dell Disability Law Firm. Mr. Alex Palamara and his team went above and beyond my expectations. They will respond to emails and phone calls in a timely manner. Thank you once again for taking my case.
This law firm is the best so far. MetLife denied me two times, they appealed two times for me and they won of course. So if you are on disability and want a chance at winning your case use this firm Dell disability lawyers, kind courteous understanding and they get the job done. You won’t be disappointed.
Our goal is to get your application for disability income benefits approved. Applying for disability 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 lawyers will guide you through the entire application process and give you the best chance to get your disability claim approved the first time.
If your disability insurance benefits have been wrongfully denied, then our 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 lawyers for a free immediate review of your disability denial.
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 lawyers 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.
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 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.
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 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.
We are disability insurance lawyers 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.
In more than 98% of our cases, our lawyers have been able to either get our clients paid monthly disability benefits or obtain a one-time lump-sum settlement. Our 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 welcome you to contact any of our attorneys 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 700 videos and regularly provide tips to help protect your disability benefits.
Who do you help?
Our lawyers 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 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, GoToMeeting sessions, or Skype. 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 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.