Unum Accused of Illegally Denying Disability Claims

Millions of Americans purchase disability coverage so that they can feel protected in the event they become disabled and unable to work in the future. Disability coverage is viewed as an important safety net for individuals who suffer from a catastrophic accident or develop a debilitating condition. Unfortunately, many insurance companies have received increased scrutiny about their policies for denying legitimate disability claims.

Unum, formerly called UnumProvident, is one of the companies that received substantial criticism about its claim denial policies. Due to its unscrupulous business practices, Unum has been featured on shows such as 60 Minutes and NBC Dateline. Thousands of people have filed Unum lawsuits, alleging that company representatives routinely deny legitimate claims in order to save money.

As the largest disability provider in the United States, the number of people that are affected by Unum’s policy denials is substantial. Many current and former employees have come forward to complain that the company provided incentives to employees who denied significant disability claims. They allege that the company failed to adequately investigate the claims before wrongfully denying them. Their actions have caused severe financial hardship to a very vulnerable population.

Employees Concerned about Unum’s Claim Denial Policies

Unum employees have raised complaints that the company had set up a target number of denials that had to be met. Those who denied the most claims were declared the “best producers” among the claims representatives. Employees have also alleged that the company hired in-house medical consultants to write medical reports that would encourage the denial of claims. The role of these consultants was not to provide independent medical evaluation, but to increase the number of disability claims that would be denied. The consultants would routinely seek out reasons to deny claims, regardless of the legitimacy of the disability.

Unum Lawsuits Bring Plaintiffs Significant Awards

In 2007, a surgeon who suffered from a Unum disability claim denial was awarded $31.7 million. The surgeon sued after he developed a condition that caused him to be unable to perform surgery. Although he had a medical diagnosis, Unum’s doctors disagreed with the diagnosis and terminated his disability benefits.

In another case, a federal judge in San Francisco upheld a jury verdict of more than $7.5 million in a case filed by a former chiropractor who had been denied a Unum disability claim. The judge found that the company had engaged in questionable conduct in order to avoid paying legitimate disability claims.

In 2001, a Florida jury awarded more than $36 million to an ophthalmologist who was experienced a Unum disability claim denial after he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and a herniated disc that prevented him from working.

If You Have Been Denied a Unum Disability Claim

If you believe that you have been denied a legitimate Unum disability claim, visit the Unum/UnumProvident Disability Insurance Claim Denial Class Action Lawsuit Investigation page to learn more about your legal rights. An experienced Unum disability claim denial lawyer will review your claim, free of charge, to determine whether you qualify to file a lawsuit. You may be able to recover substantial compensation for the financial losses you experienced from your illegal Unum disability claim denial.