When a person pays into disability insurance, they do so praying that they will never have to use the insurance. Unfortunately, when that person must use their disability insurance, it isn’t always around for them when they need it. Insurance companies attempt deceitful tactics and even sneaky investigation work to attempt to discredit the insurer’s disability.

Florida plaintiff Christine Clark is one of many that has had to go through the terrible ordeal of fighting with her insurance company for disability insurance that she rightfully earned.

Christine’s Story

Beginning in August 1992, Christine purchased disability insurance through Unum Insurance Company, a trusted and well-known insurance company.

In 1994, an additional policy for further disability coverage was taken out on behalf of Christine, which guaranteed her disability insurance resulting from any injury or sickness that would leave her disabled enough to not work.

In 2007, disaster struck Christine. According to the Unum lawsuit, she was given a diagnosis of “suffering from cervical spondylosis, severe left-sided neural foramina stenosis at C5-C6, moderate left-sided neural foramina stenosis at C6-C7, and depression.” Upon this diagnosis, the plaintiff immediately applied for her disability insurance that she had a current policy for over 15 years. Unum granted her claim until 2010.

In 2010, Clark received her final check from Unum with a letter from Unum’s Claim Management division that she no longer fit the criteria for what they considered ‘disabled.’ She continued to fight Unum for two years, including appeals, until she received a final notice that their decision to terminate her Unum disability insurance policy was verified and upheld.

Now, Christine is taking legal action against Unum Insurance Company for their alleged negligence and a breach of contract that Unum had a duty to fulfill.

Background of Unum

Unum Insurance Company is the largest supplier of disability insurance in the country, as they supply roughly 40 percent of every disability insurance claim in the United States, or about 17 million people. For years, Unum has served countless Americans in making sure that they are well taken care of after their disability. But as millions have been served, countless others have been denied.

Employees of Unum soon came out and disclosed that Unum actually systematically denies a large portion of their claims, a good portion being otherwise legitimate claims. As a result of this disclosure, multi-million dollar settlements have been reached against Unum for their sneaky insurance tactics.

In 2002, an eye surgeon had a valid policy under Unum, but was still denied his disability insurance upon his untimely debilitating injury of Parkinson’s Disease. After a long trial, a settlement of $36 million was issued against Unum in favor of the surgeon. Though his settlement was one of the largest, many plaintiffs are walking away with hundreds of thousands, if not millions, in settlement money for medical costs and punitive damages against Unum.

As it stands now, more than 3,000 Unum lawsuits have been filed in the federal courts and are awaiting litigation.