An Unum Life Insurance Company of America policyholder has filed an Unum disability insurance denial lawsuit claiming that the company prematurely stopped paying his benefits.

The most recent Unum disability insurance denial lawsuit was filed by plaintiff Robert D., who says that he had an Unum disability policy through his employment with Indus Technology Inc.

He says that during his employment with Indus, he became disabled due to complications related to type-2 diabetes and vision problems, and filed a claim with Unum. He says that his claim was initially accepted but was then denied. He claims that the denial was made unjustly and he should have been able to continue to receive benefits.

According to Robert, his plan provided him with a monthly benefit equivalent to 50 percent of his pre-disability earnings, less benefit reduction following a 180 day elimination period, in the event that Robert became disabled. He says that under the terms of the plan, these benefits would continue through to his 65th birthday if he did become disabled.

Robert says that before his disability, Robert worked as a Senior Financial Specialist at Indus Technology, work which required him to use visual acuity to view spreadsheets and weapons system screens. Allegedly, these screens cannot be enlarged for the visually impaired.

He says that in 2016, he began having “double vision, blurry eyesight, painfully dry eyes, and headaches.” Robert claims that these conditions impaired his function so much that he could not perform his work because he could not view the screens, spreadsheets, and other documents integral to his work.

He says that later, at the age of only 49, he was diagnosed with early-onset cataracts and convergence insufficiency with esotropia, meaning that one eye did not track properly. This diagnosis was made in 2016, and then later that same year, in September, he was diagnosed with type-2 diabetes.

According to the Unum disability insurance denial lawsuit, he applied for short term disability insurance with Unum and his claim was accepted on Feb. 24, 2017. Allegedly, after receiving his diabetes diagnosis, a physician determined that his vision problems related to the disease would prevent him from working. On Aug. 2, 2017, Unum allegedly accepted Robert’s request for long-term disability because his condition prevented him from working.

Robert argues that the company denied him coverage in an unjustified fashion. Allegedly, the denial came despite Robert’s doctor sending statements confirming Robert’s continued disability.

Robert’s case may not be unique. Reviews of Unum on Consumer Affairs are full of patients who say that their claims were denied, that they experienced terrible customer service, or that the company made them jump through many hoops to receive assistance, and made them re-apply for coverage over and over again. 

This lawsuit is not the only such claim that Unum has faced — a number of policyholders have claimed that the company unfairly stopped paying benefits on their policies, even though the policyholders were still suffering from disabilities.

In 2012, 60 Minutes presented a special on this issue, speaking to an eye surgeon who says that he filed a disability claim with Unum after he developed a tremor in his right hand that turned out to be Parkinson’s and said that it was not safe for him to operate. Allegedly, the company never spoke to his doctor, but deemed him not disabled and stopped his disability claim payments. 

In the 60 minute special, past Unum employees told reporters that they were encouraged by the company to not accept claims in an effort to meet strict monthly quotas.

Seven years later, the company is still facing claims that the company unfairly denied disability insurance coverage to those that need it.

Robert’s Unum Disability Insurance Denial Lawsuit is Case No. 3:19-cv-00086-W-AGS, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.

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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