A Pennsylvania man who was denied an insurance claim for disability for migraines has filed a lawsuit against his insurer and his former employer. Plaintiff Surama J. has named Unum Life Insurance Company of America and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center as co-defendants.

Background

Prior to March 2004, Surama states that he was employed by Sloan-Kettering as research administrator. It was around that time that he allegedly began to develop the condition that led him to file a claim for disability for migraines.

During his tenure at Sloan-Kettering, Surama says he paid into a group disability insurance plan that was offered by defendant Unum. The plan was intended to provide its insureds with a secure, steady income in the event that they became disabled and unable to engage in their normal employment.

This was Surama’s case when he filed a claim for disability for migraines. He says his migraines had become so severe and frequent that, according to the complaint, he was no longer able to “perform the substantial and material duties of the occupation for which he was qualified in view of his age, education, training, experience, station in life, physical and mental capacity.”

Claim for Disability for Migraines Suddenly Terminated

For 14 years, Surama says, he continued to collect his promised benefit payments. Then, in August 2017, he says Unum abruptly terminated his long-term disability payments. For the better part of a year, Surama states that he filed numerous appeals and requests for review as per company procedures. He says that by July of 2018, he had exercised all remedies that were available to no avail; he was informed that the termination of his benefits was final.

Surama alleges that Unum has failed to provide a reasonable explanation for the discontinuation of his benefits. The reasons for termination, Surama says, are “arbitrary, capricious, improper, insufficient and invalid.”

About Unum

The Unum Life Insurance Company of America was founded in the mid-19th Century as Union Mutual Life Insurance, making it one of the oldest insurers in the U.S. During the 1980s, Unum began discontinuing most of its lines of insurance; since 1990, its primary focus has been long-term disability insurance.

Although the company has won numerous awards, including Forbes’ America’s 100 Most Trustworthy Companies and Most Reputable Companies in 2012 and 2013, Unum has developed a reputation for going to great lengths to deny claims.

Past plaintiffs in lawsuits against Unum state that the company regularly denies claims for cognitive disabilities, Lyme Disease, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and disability for migraines. Unum is also accused of regularly refusing to reinstate benefits once they have been denied or discontinued, terminating benefits without advance notice, and altering the terms of a policy after a claim has been filed.

Surama is seeking restoration of his benefits, retroactive to July 2018 when they were terminated. He also asks for compensation for legal costs.

His Disability for Migraines Lawsuit is Case 2:18-cv-05373-PD, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

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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