Our Resolved Disability Insurance Claims

After paying the claimant for 24 months under the mental nervous condition limitation, Cigna terminated her benefits based on the lack of evidence supporting her physical disability. In its denial letter, Cigna dismissed the overwhelming volume of objective evidence supporting the claim for total physical disability (ie, significant abnormal findings on objective diagnostic testing, her credible complaints of ...

Syncope is the medical term used to describe fainting or passing out. A syncopal event often comes on with no warning, is short in duration and recovery is often spontaneous. For our client, a Construction Project Manager responsible for driving to work sites and then navigating the site, an event could spell disastrous. Even more frustrating than suffering from recurrent syncope events is not having a clear u...

After three long years of struggling with no income due to Sedgwick's failure to approve her benefits, the claimant is finally awarded the disability benefits she was rightfully owed. The claimant worked for Walgreens for approximately 11 years and was a dedicated employee who loved her profession. In early 2011 she began to feel fatigued and experienced pain in her muscles and joints. She was very concerned f...

Dr. G' s individual long-term disability insurance policy with National Life of Vermont (National Life), now owned and administered by Unum, were initially purchased shortly after his graduation from chiropractic college. Although after graduation, he initially worked and apprenticed under other chiropractors, his true desire was to one day open his own practice. With that aspiration in mind, he knew the impor...

Previously employed as a Store Manager for Victoria's Secret, our eventual client was forced to leave her position on July 8, 2009 due to numerous issues with her back, neck, hands, arms and feet. Her conditioned included severe and progressive Chronic Low Back Pain with Radiation to the Lower Extremities, Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease, Lumbar Post Laminectomy Syndrome, Lumbar Strain, Lumbar Scoliosis, L5/S...

It is undisputed that our client served honorably in the Vietnam War during the time period of 1968 to 1969. Most recently he had been an employee of US Foodservice for over 17 years without issue. He worked as a District Sales Manager. However in 2008, a change in management at his job brought drastic changes which lead to him experiencing increased stressed. This additional stress resulted in our client to s...

After receiving a letter terminating her LTD benefits, the claimant retained Rachel Alters to prepare an appeal on her behalf against Cigna. The medical and occupational documentation submitted with the appeal clearly established that due to physical limitation resulting from end stage Myasthenia Gravis, which causes the claimant to suffer unpredictable, intermittent muscle weakness in her arms, shoulders, bac...

Ms. Z had spent several years working as an analyst for major retailer, Target Corporation. Although she spent years working with Target, and greatly enjoyed her job, she soon began experiencing severe and chronic neck pain as a result of spondylothesis and rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic inflammatory disorder that often affects the small joints in the hands and feet. Ms. Z's days were often spent in discomfor...

Prior to filing for disability our client was a Professor of Psychology at a large University. Unbeknownst to many around her she was battling a long history of Bipolar Disorder, Depression and Anxiety, which began to affect her ability to properly perform the duties required of her as a collegiate level professor. The daily battle she faced with depression and anxiety left her overwhelmed and emotionally exha...

When our client first contacted our Office he was unsure if he even had a case worth pursuing. After being on long term disability for a year, and still within his "Own Occupation" period Hartford denied his claim for continued benefits based on video surveillance conducted, an in-person interview, and the results of an Independent Medical Examination they had sent him to. By all accounts, prior to denying the...

On January 15, 2010, a System Engineer for Lockheed Martin Corporation was forced to leave work due to multiple medical conditions. His conditions included Chronic Pain Syndrome, Degenerative Disc Disease of the Cervical and Lumbar Spines, Active Colitis, Cognitive Dysfunction, etc. As his employment with Lockheed provided coverage under a Long Term Disability Policy, this System Engineer applied for Long Term...

Our client was the epitome of a no-nonsense, honest, hardworking individual. So much so that at the age of 64, while performing yard work at his home he fell some 30 feet from a tree, breaking multiple vertebrae in his back and still attempted to return to his occupation as a Software Engineer. Despite his noble efforts, the severity of the fall that almost killed him and required extensive surgery left him un...

Attorney Rachel Alters filed an appeal after Lincoln denied long-term disability benefits to a Project Manger suffering from chronic paroxysmal hemicrania/hemicranial cluster headaches, cervicalgia, and osteoarthritis of the temporomandibular joint bilaterally, which prevented her from being able to perform with reasonable continuity each of the main duties of her regular occupation. It was evident from review...

Liberty initially approved our client's claim for long term disability benefits after determining he was unable to perform the duties of his occupation as District Manager due to physical and cognitive limitations resulting from his Multiple Sclerosis. However, after paying the benefit for only four months, Liberty had a change of heart and terminated his LTD benefits, claiming that he no longer met the defini...

Forced to leave his position in 2011 due to multiple complications involving HIV/AIDS, Back Issues, Hepatitis C, Depression, etc., a man formerly employed as an Account Service Representative with MetroPCS Wireless applied for and was initially approved for Long Term Disability (LTD) Benefits with CIGNA/Life Insurance Company of North America. These benefits were paid for 24 months as Cigna agreed that he was ...

The road to long term disability benefits is far too often a difficult and arduous journey for many insured. Our client's story is a testament to the lengths an insurance company will go in an attempt to avoid its obligation to pay benefits under a disability policy. I first wrote about my client's battle to secure the remaining month of his short term disability benefits on account of a multitude of medical c...

In July of 2013, a woman former employed as a Planner/Scheduler contacted Dell Disability Lawyers for potential representation due to the fact that Cigna had denied her continued claim for Short Term Disability benefits. This woman was forced to leave work on January 17, 2013 due to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Fibromyalgia. Fortunately for this Planner, she was covered for Short Term an...

Our client was a highly successful Podiatric Surgeon who was suffering from severe neck pain due to two crushed cervical facet joints with resultant nerve impingement. Despite his best efforts to continue to work in his capacity as a surgeon the pain and associated numbness and weakness was making it increasingly difficult to effectively examine and treat his patients. The pain became so severe and his concern...

Attorney Alex Palamara represented a former Lockheed Martin employee that was denied long term disability benefits by Cigna following a functional capacity exam. Mr. Palamara prepared an extensive ERISA appeal and upon review, Cigna agreed to reinstate past due benefits and continue paying benefits. Our firm continues to manage the claim on a daily basis and our...

Our client had been employed as a Truck Driver for Harris Teeter Supermarkets, Inc. His disabilities included Chronic Pancreatitis, Chronic Pain, Stomach Ulcers, Epigastric Pain, Nausea, Diffuse Gastritis, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Fatty Liver, Nephrolithiasis, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Hypertension, Headaches, Osteoarthritis of the Knee, Hyperlipidemia, Lumbago, Kidney Stones, and Insomnia. The ...