Tamara Burns  |  March 14, 2016

Category: Consumer News

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Unum bad faith denial lawsuitMany medical and dental offices and hospitals across the country choose Unum as their long-term disability provider for benefits to issue to employees.

Self-employed doctors and dentists may also purchase Unum long-term disability insurance to meet their needs in case they become disabled during the course of their careers.

For some, Unum has been instrumental in helping doctors and dentists keep their financial stability while being disabled, and they are unable to perform their work for a period of time.

However, for others, particularly those requiring longer terms or even permanent disability, may run into definite roadblocks in trying to secure funds as part of their disability benefits.

Some physicians and dental professionals have decided to take control of their legal rights and have contacted a bad faith attorney to help navigate the legal process to reclaim the benefits to which may be entitled.

What is Bad Faith Insurance?

Bad faith insurance is a practice where insurance companies do not pay or delay claims that are considered legitimate. Sometimes denial of a claim is based on an error when a wrong billing code is entered, for example. However, bad faith claims are more of a systematic denial by a company that appears to be failing to hold up their end of the insurance deal.

Unfortunately, Unum has earned a potential reputation for providing bad faith insurance. Decades ago in the 1980s, Unum was accused selling life insurance policies without giving consideration to the potential future risk on its policyholders- a process known as cash flow underwriting. Unum was also accused of using the premiums collected from life insurance and invested the revenue, collecting profits on the investments.

These actions led to a decline in value of Unum’s life insurance policies, so then the company allegedly began denying benefits to eligible policyholders. Not all claimants would fight the denial, so Unum ended up profiting on those who took Unum’s decision without pressing on.

Doctors and Dentists Take Legal Action Against Unum

Timothy R. was a self-employed dentist who filed a bad faith claim against Unum for denying him disability benefits. Timothy  was diagnosed with  Ankylosing Spondylitis, a disease that caused him to suffer from inflammatory arthritis and that caused further problems in his head and neck, according to his claim.

Timothy was unable to work full time and while he was initially approved for benefits, his Unum benefits were terminated and he was not paid for his permanent disability, according to the lawsuit.

Vaughn P. was employed at Commercial Dental in Tennessee and he filed a Unum bad faith insurance lawsuit against the company. Vaughn was in a serious car accident that led to him suffering from a serious head injury and subsequent neurological damage, concussion and post traumatic stress disorder, the lawsuit stated.

According to the claim, Vaughn was denied on his initial claim and subsequent appeals from Unum, leading him to file a bad faith insurance lawsuit.

Melrose A., an emergency room physician, filed her bad faith claim against Unum when she was denied disability benefits after initially having them granted. Melrose claimed that she had to stop working and despite supporting documentation and meeting all relevant criteria, she alleged that Unum had issued bad faith insurance.

Albert M. was a urologic surgeon who filed a a bad faith insurance against Unum claiming he was unreasonably denied his claim benefits. Albert was required to stand for long periods of time to complete his occupational duties and due to severe ankle pain, he was no longer able to stand for long periods of time to complete surgery, according to the claim.

The case eventually went to trial and the jury awarded Albert $892,380 in damages to compensate him for all missed disability payments.

Filing an Unum Bad Faith Insurance Lawsuit

If you have been denied disability benefits from Unum but believe you are eligible based on the terms of the policy, you may have a legal claim. After you have exhausted your administrative options with appeals to Unum directly, a bad faith attorney can help guide you through the process to work toward initiating or reinstating benefits that are owed to you.

Do YOU have a legal claim? Fill out the form on this page now for a free, immediate, and confidential case evaluation. The bad faith insurance attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual lawsuit or Unum class action lawsuit is best for you. [In general, Unum bad faith lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions.] Hurry — statutes of limitations may apply.

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Get Help With Your Long Term Disability Insurance Appeal

If you were denied a disability claim or had your disability benefits terminated without reason, you may be able to take legal action. See if you qualify by filling out the short form below.

An attorney will contact you if you qualify to discuss the details of your potential case at no charge to you.

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