Collecting Neck Pain Disability Benefits Is A Reality

Disability claims which are the result of neck pain, also known as a cervical disorder are one of the most common causes of disability insurance claims. At least 20% of the claimants we represent are unable to work as result of a neck disorder. It is not usually the limited range of motion that prevents a person from working; rather it is the intermittent pain which prevents a person from being able to focus on their job. In order to have the best chance of collecting disability benefits it is imperative to be able to prove how your neck condition prevents you from working. Our disability lawyers know exactly what the disability insurance companies are trained to look for in order to approve a neck disability claim. We work with your treating doctor(s) and you to obtain the best medical documentation possible of your medical condition. If you are not treating with the appropriate physicians, then we will make doctor recommendations so that you can obtain the required proof to get your claim approved. Don’t assume that a letter from your doctor saying you are disabled is sufficient, because it is not. Disability insurance claim representatives are trained to look for reasons to deny claims. Call us for a free consultation to discuss how we can assist you with your short or long term disability claim. At any stage of your disability claim we are available to assist you.

Objective Evidence of A Neck Pain Disability Claim is Very Important

Insurance companies often turn people down because neck problems are common, especially as we grow older. Disability companies will often argue that there is no objective evidence to support restrictions and limitations caused by neck pain. Examples of objective evidence of a neck disorder could be an X-ray, MRI, CT-Scan, EMG, nerve conduction study, discogram or injections performed under fluoroscopy. Objective testing in all neck disability claims is essential. Positive finding are not required to collect, but a disability claim is much more challenging if the objective testing does not have any abnormalities. There are a high percentage of claimants that have normal objective testing but still have debilitating pain. Some long term disability policies require positive findings of radiculopathy or myelopathy in order to receive benefits for longer than 24 months. Our lawyers have handled thousands of neck disorder claims and have an in-depth understanding of all disorders of the cervical spine. It is important to treat with a doctor that knows how to administer the proper diagnostic testing.

Disability Insurance Company Tactics Used to Deny Neck Disability Claims

Most insurance companies hire in-house physicians to review your medical records and make a decision about your ability to work, even though they may never meet claimants or physically examine them. They will also obtain video surveillance of you and have it reviewed by their hired gun physician. Your best defense against this tactic is routine examinations from your treating physician(s) and obtaining the proper diagnostic testing. It is essential to have a treating physician who properly documents all of your complaints, restrictions and limitations. Appeals courts will often rule against insurance companies when they ignore statements from treating physicians. We recommend that people with neck disability claims treat with an orthopedist, neurologist or a pain management doctor, also known as a physiatrist. In some cases we will recommend that our clients undergo a functional capacity exam (FCE). FCE can be useful in the correct types of cases. We also recommend the use of a daily pain journal. Record all the information you have, including dates, symptoms, treatments, medical visits and time taken off work. This could all be important later.

Watch our video or read about how to prove your neck pain is disabling.

Our Experience with Neck and Cervical Spine Disabilities

Some of our successfully resolved cases about cervical spine and neck pain include:

$79,000 in long term disability insurance benefits is recovered for disabled teacher

Berkshire approves total disability benefits for litigation attorney following surgery to remove a cancerous tumor and multi-level fusion of cervical spine

Attorneys Dell & Schaefer win long-term disability trial against Prudential Insurance Company Of America on behalf of time-share salesperson suffering from cervical disc disease

Lincoln Financial approves long-term disability benefits for financial advisor injured in car accident

Contact our disability insurance lawyers today to find out if we can help. We offer free consultations so you can find out instantly what your best options are.

Resources For Neck Pain Disability Claims

For more information about neck and cervical spine disabilities, visit:

To learn more about how new laws or cases might affect your benefits, check back to this page, as we frequently update it with relevant information.

Resources to Help You Win Disability Benefits

Disability Benefit Denial Options
Submit a Strong Appeal Package

We work with you, your doctors, and other experts to submit a very strong appeal.

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Sue Your Disability Insurance Company

We have filed thousands of disability denial lawsuits in federal Courts nationwide.

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Protect Your Benefits
Get Your Disability Application Approved
We help claimants throughout the entire application process.

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Prevent a Disability Benefit Denial
We manage every aspect of your disability claim following claim approval.

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Negotiate a Lump-Sum Settlement

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

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Disability Company Reviews
(650)
Showing 8 of 650 Reviews
MetLife

MetLife for disability? Avoid the surgery unless it's life-threatening

Reviewed by Jeff on August 22nd 2024   Verified Policyholder | August 2024 date of disability
The worst company I ever dealt with, never received a call from my claim manager.
Reliance Standard

Short Term Disability Claim/Inconsistent to NO Communication

Reviewed by GaKRN on August 22nd 2024   Verified Policyholder | June 2024 date of disability
When I did call & reach a live person they were kind & helpful. The person assigned to my claim left one phone message & I have not spoken to her since. Information she re... read more >
Unum

Unum Closed My Case Today

Reviewed by Scott C. on July 5th 2024   Verified Policyholder | March 2023 date of disability
Unum will keep you around, if they pay you 100 a month. But as soon as have to pay more than 2700 a month, they will drop you. We will be going to the attorneys office fir... read more >
Hartford

Ran me Around for Months

Reviewed by David on July 5th 2024   Verified Policyholder | January 2024 date of disability
Scammers. Immoral horrible people.
Reply
Sent on July 5th 2024 by Attorney Gregory Dell

David:

It’s horrible that Hartford did that to you.

Prudential

Denied but Not Denied but I am Denied

Reviewed by KDDK on July 5th 2024   Verified Policyholder | August 2022 date of disability
I went out in Aug. 2022 for neck pain. After seeing a neurologist I had to get an ACDF C5-7, it was also determined I had carpal tunnel in my right hand and bulging disk i... read more >
Prudential

Denied but Not Denied but I am Denied

Reviewed by KDDK on July 5th 2024   Verified Policyholder | August 2022 date of disability
I went out in Aug. 2022 for neck pain. After seeing a neurologist I had to get an ACDF C5-7, it was also determined I had carpal tunnel in my right hand and bulging disk i... read more >
New York Life

Claiming They Are Not Receiving Paperwork

Reviewed by Macey on June 26th 2024   Verified Policyholder | February 2024 date of disability
After suffering from medical issues from my delivery in February, I had to have a colostomy bag placed. Now New York Life is trying to claim my condition was pre-existing ... read more >
Hartford

Truly Horrible and Immoral Company with No Customer Service

Reviewed by William M. on June 26th 2024   Verified Policyholder | June 2020 date of disability
My experiences with Hartford have been nothing short of cruel. They started off by claiming that having Glioblastoma, which has an expected life span of about fifteen mont... read more >
Answered Questions by Our Lawyers
(2)
Showing 2 of 2 Answered Questions

Q: Would a diagnosed condition of psoriatic arthritis qualify me for a LTD?

Answered on December 20th 2023 by Attorney Rachel Alters
A: The diagnosis alone doesn’t qualify you. Your doctors would need to document that your condition was so seve... Read More >

Q: How does Lincoln Financial calculate their lump sum payouts? Is this an option I should even think about?

Answered on May 9th 2017 by Attorney Stephen Jessup
A: Dawn, please feel free to contact our office to discuss your claim further to assess the possibility of a lump... Read More >
Helpful Videos
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Disability Benefit Tips
(331)
Showing 8 of 331 Benefit Tips

How To Get Long Term Disability Benefits Approved Due To Neck Pain

If you have a disability claim that involves neck pain, you might be wondering exactly how much neck pain does it take to get a long-term disability insurance claim approved? Despite what a disability insurance companies may lead you to believe, there is no machine or tool that allows you prove how much neck pain you have. So what evidence do you need to prove ... Read More >

Neck Pain and Long Term Disability Insurance Claim Help

Neck pain is unfortunately a very common occurrence for people at some point in their life. When neck pain becomes chronic it makes it extremely difficult for a person to commit to a regular work schedule. In this video, nationwide disability insurance attorneys Cesar Gavidia and Gregory Dell discuss their experience in helping long term disability insurance cla... Read More >

Long Term Disability Claims Due to Back Pain

One of the most common causes for filing a short or long term disability insurance claim is due to “back pain.” Although this encompasses a wide range of conditions - from disc herniations and bulges to soft tissue disorders and fibromyalgia - insurance companies will evaluate entitlement to benefits as a result of back pain in the same manner regardless of the medical basis for the pain. Complicating the ... Read More >

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... Read More >

Disability Benefit Denial Reason #5 – Your Medical Evidence is Weak

If you're seeking long term disability benefits from an insurance company, you may be concerned that you're facing an uphill battle. Fortunately, the stronger your medical evidence, the greater the odds that your claim will be approved. On the other side of the coin, one of the most common reasons for denial of long term disability benefits involves too-weak med... Read More >

Disability Benefit Denial Reason #4 - Your Doctor Is Misled By the Disability Company

When you're seeking disability insurance benefits, your medical records and treating physician's statement are two of the most important components of your claim. But because the insurance company has a vested interest in denying your disability insurance claim, it often will rely on tactics like ambushing your doctor with a phone call in an attempt to get them ... Read More >

Disability Benefit Denial Reason #3 - Video & Social Media Surveillance

One thing many disability insurance claimants don't know about (or expect) from the claims review process involves video and social media surveillance. Disability insurance carriers often hire people to follow claimants around with a telephoto lens - or even send social media friend requests from fake accounts - to glean whatever information they can about the c... Read More >

How Do You Fight a Long-Term Disability Denial?

Getting a denial letter from your disability insurance company is one of the ultimate insults. You are sick and not able to work, yet your disability insurance company is telling you to return to work. The disability insurance company has denied your disability benefit claim and is basically calling you a liar. When receiving a disability denial letter or a ph... Read More >
Dell Disability Cases
(375)
Showing 8 of 375 Dell Disability Cases

Prudential reverses decision to terminate LTD benefits of MRI Tech with Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis and degenerative Disc Disease

The claimant is a 58-year-old former MRI Technologist for Fairview Health Services who has long suffered from the debilitating effects of her chronic medical conditions. She has a history of neck pain as well as right arm pain and numbness dating back to 2005 with a reoccurrence of severe symptomatology in 2013. MRI of her cervical spine performed in August of ... Read More >

Louisiana State College Director Wins Unum LTD Appeal But Then Denied Again

Client was Regional Director for the State of Louisiana. She was diagnosed with cervical radiculopathy, spondylosis, lumbar spondylosis and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome. In 2020 she underwent an anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. Unfortunately the surgery did very little to resolve her neck pain, radiculopathy and discomfort.She was a Regional Di... Read More >

Attorney Alexander Palamara of Dell Disability Lawyers gets LTD Benefits Reinstated for former Walmart Manager who is now found disabled from Any Occupation

A former Manager of Quality Assurance at Walmart is again receiving Long Term Disability (LTD) benefits following an appeal filed by Dell Disability Lawyers. Our now client was only recently hired by Walmart in May of 2017. He loved his job and began to shine at his occupation until he unfortunately suffered a serious shoulder injury in late 2017. After this initial shoulder injury, additional injuries ... Read More >

MetLife Approves Long Term Disability Claim For Executive Assistant with Neck Pain

Our client, a former Executive Assistant at American Express, filed a claim with MetLife under American Express's short term disability policy on account of severe cervical and thoracic pain with resulting radiculopathy that made it impossible for her to execute her job duties. Based on the medical information provided, MetLife quickly approved our client's for claim for short term disability with little resis... Read More >

Liberty Mutual Overturns Denial of Disability Benefits Following Submission of an ERISA Appeal

Liberty Mutual Initially Approves Disability Claim After Finding Total Disability From Own OccupationOur client, John, was working as a Chemical Supervisor for Arkema, Inc., a French specialty chemicals and advanced materials company, when in 2015 he was forced to stop working due to chronic pain in his cervical and lumbar spine relating to degenerative disk disease and post laminectomy syndrome.John f... Read More >

Cigna Overturns Denial of LTD Benefits to Computer Systems Engineer after Appeal and Independent Medical Examination

Our client was previously employed as a Computer Systems Engineer. In this occupation, he was responsible for support and maintenance of a real-time system that allows pipeline controllers to monitor pipelines across the United States. Unfortunately for him, he was suffering from Lumbar Discogenic and Facetogenic Pain, Lumbar Radiculopathy, Cervical Spine Pain Status Post Fusion, and Piriformis Syndrome, and r... Read More >

Berkshire Approves Application for Disability Benefits to Sales Manager

Our client, an accomplished outside salesman, had built a stellar reputation in his industry after building his company over a period of many years and then after he sold the business to an international company, and continued to work in his capacity as a salesman. Throughout his entire career he was always focused on building relationships with his clients and despite his role as the owner, was always traveli... Read More >

CIGNA overturned previous denial of long term disability benefits for Massachusetts Senior Advisor

Our client, Ms. G, formerly worked as a Senior Advisor for a large financial services company. In March 2015 a number of co-morbid physical conditions and ailments forced Ms. G to stop working and submit her claim for disability benefits first under her employer’s short term disability (“STD”) Policy then continuing under her employer’s Long-Term Disability (“LTD”) Policy both benefits were adminis... Read More >
Disability Lawsuit Stories
(765)
Showing 8 of 765 Lawsuit Stories

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 Upholds Reliance’s Denial of Disability Benefits to Riverboat Pilot

In Michael G. Miller v. Reliance Standard Insurance Company (Reliance), Plaintiff worked for Lake Charles Pilots, Inc. (LCP) as a riverboat pilot when he quit working due to a disability. At the time his employer provided short-term disability (STD) and long-term disability (LTD) coverage through Prudential Life Insurance Company.Prudential paid Plaintiff short-term disability bene... Read More >

Can UNUM Deny LTD Benefits When Plaintiff Proves Eligibility by a Preponderance of the Evidence?

In the case of Paul Luu v. First Unum Life Insurance Company of America (Unum), Plaintiff had been employed by MUFG Union Bank (Union) for approximately 25 years when, on February 12, 2015, he was given a negative performance review and put on notice that he could be terminated.Plaintiff stated that on that date, "it all came together... mentally and physically, he could not do it anymore. H... Read More >

Cigna Denial of LTD Benefits for Schlumberger Shop Manager Upheld

In Jerry Courville v. Life Insurance Co of North America (LINA), Plaintiff was employed as a shop manager for Schlumberger Technology Corporation (STC). In 2015, he began experiencing neck and back pain. In July 2015, he underwent a three-level spinal fusion. Three months later, he underwent a one-level spinal fusion.Plaintiff filed a claim for short-term disability (STD) benefit... Read More >

Prudential Denies Long Term Disability Claim Due to Insurance Fraud

Our office was recently contacted by an insured whose claim for long term disability benefits had been recently and abruptly denied by Prudential based on allegations of insurance fraud stemming from answers provided in an Activities of Daily Living Questionnaire (ADLQ) form and a subsequent field interview. For anyone on claim with Prudential, or with any disability insurance company for that matter, the ADLQ... Read More >

Court Remands Sun Life to Consider Social Security's Decision to Award Plaintiff Disability Benefits

In Green v. Sun Life Assurance Co., the issue concerned whether or not the claimant was continuously disabled during the 180-day required elimination period in order to qualify for disability benefits. The plan administrator, Sun Life Assurance Co., was aware that the claimant had been awarded disability benefits by the Social Security Administration (SSA), but failed to review the SSA file or the determinatio... Read More >

Washington Court Finds Omaha Wrongfully Relied on Video Surveillance to Deny Disability Benefits

The court discounted the video surveillance, finding "The video surveillance footage was of marginal, if any, relevance." The court continued, "The surveillance video of Ms. Young does not depict activity inconsistent with her reported limitations. The video does not demonstrate Ms. Young has the ability to work full-time in her regular occupation." The court ordered that the plaintiff was entitled to long ter... 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 income 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 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.

In more than 98% of our cases, our attorneys have been able to either get our clients paid monthly disability benefits or obtain a one-time lump-sum settlement. 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 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 850 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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