Symetra Reinstates LTD Benefits for Former Vice President of Grady Management, Inc. who suffered from multiple Strokes
Prior to becoming disabled, our client had worked at Grady Management, Inc., a well-respected full service real estate firm in Maryland, since April of 1978. For 37+ years, our client worked for Grady and worked his way up to become the Vice President of Priority Engineering Services. Obviously his work at Grady was more than a job, it was his life. Unfortunately for our client, serious medical conditions interrupted his continued employment and he was forced to stop working in June of 2015.
What caused him to stop working was the fact that our client suffers from hypercoagulopathy disorder which is a disease that is characterized by an increased tendency of the blood to form clots. Other diagnoses include deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolisms and he has even suffered from multiple cerebrovascular accidents (strokes). These issues have left him suffering from short term memory loss and impaired cognitive functioning, among other issues.
After 37+ years, our client was forced to stop working. Fortunately, Grady Management provided its employees with coverage under a Long Term Disability Insurance policy and fortunately that policy was with Symetra Life Insurance Company. After leaving work and applying for benefits, Symetra initially approved his claim and in fact paid his claim for a little over two years. Unfortunately, continued benefits were denied by way of a denial letter dated November 1, 2017.
Symetra’s Denial Letter
Symetra’s Policy with Grady Management contained typical policy language that included what is known as the “change in definition of disability.” In this policy (like most group insurance policies with all insurance providers), in order to initially receive benefits a claimant must prove that he or she is prevented “from performing with reasonably continuity the material and substantial duties of your regular occupation…” However, after benefits are paid for 24 months, what it means to be disabled changes. After 24 months of benefits, the claimant then must prove that he/she is prevented “from performing with reasonable continuity the material and substantial duties of any gainful occupation.” As it is clearly tougher to prove that one cannot perform “any gainful occupation”, this is the time period when most insurance companies deny previously approved claims.
This situation was not unique. Armed with the new definition of disability and armed with the opinion of an “Independent Physician Consultant” who performed a review of the medical records, Symetra determined that as of November 1, 2017, the claimant was not disabled from any gainful occupation. Specifically, Symetra stated that he did “not have any restrictions or limitations and that (he had) a full work capacity.” Symetra even stated that there was “no objective physical impairment preventing you from performing any occupation.”
Knowing that Symetra’s conclusions were wrong and knowing that he had no ability to perform any gainful occupation, the claimant knew he needed assistance to fight this denial and he found Attorney Alexander Palamara of Dell Disability Lawyers.
Appeal by Attorney Palamara
After reviewing the denial letter, the claim file and all of the medical records, it was clear to Attorney Palamara that there was no way this honorable man who worked for 37+ years for the same company could possibly perform any gainful occupation. Attorney Palamara reached out to numerous treating physicians and each of them could not have been more supportive of the fact that their patient should be deemed completely disabled no matter what the definition of disability should be. Our appeal focused not only on the significant and overwhelming volume of objective evidence that showed each of his diagnoses and their accompanying symptoms and complications, our appeal also utilized the support of the treating physicians who wrote statements that said that our client “has had a history of mini strokes and multiple medical problems that affect his memory and cognition.” The treating doctors opined that “due to his cognitive impairment (our patient) is totally disabled.”
Claim Re-Approval
Thankfully, on the 90th day after the appeal was filed, Symetra reached out to our firm and notified us that our client’s claim was reapproved and that all retroactive benefits would paid as well as ongoing monthly benefits. While our client is happy to be back on claim and getting the benefits he deserves, he knows that the fight will continue. He also knows that Attorney Alexander Palamara will do whatever it takes to keep him on claim. If you have been denied disability benefits by Symetra or any other disability insurance company, please do not hesitate to contact Attorney Alexander Palamara at Dell & Schafer for a free consultation.
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Lincoln Financial
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It’s next to impossible to get $ out of them without a lawyer. They use plenty of intimidation and unfair tactics. They don’t want to pay. And yet, their CEO made 13 m... read more >
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Every month I get paid on a different date
I will start by saying that my experience is not as horrible as others, like the folks who have valid claims but get nothing from Lincoln. I feel for you and hope to god y... read more >
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They will do anything to not approve your claim
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Sedgwick
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This company sucks when it comes to disability claims. They are slow at processing stuff, then they always say they didn't recieve the doctors information. You spend your ... 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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.