A woman from Michigan is seeking reinstatement of disability benefits after Unum Life Insurance Company of America allegedly stopped providing them.

Plaintiff Christina C. says she was eventually forced to file a claim denial lawsuit against the disability provider, after Unum refused to provide a reinstatement of disability benefits.

According to the claim, Christina suffers from a variety of physical ailments including anterolisthesis and fibromyalgia. In addition, she says she suffers from post traumatic whiplash requiring a neck brace and contributed to Christina becoming wheelchair bound.

After being fully disabled, Christina alleges she submitted claim for long term disability benefits to Unum and was initially approved for them. For seven years, Christina says she received disability checks that helped pay for her extensive medical care.

Despite this care, Christina says she experienced no changes or improvement in her condition. However, according to the lawsuit, Unum suddenly cut off these benefits on Jan. 27, 2016 in a letter stating that the medical testimony Christina submitted did not support her claim of permanent disability.

Overview of Unum Claim Denial Lawsuit

Before becoming disabled, Christina alleges she worked for Associated Retinal Consultants LLC and was supposed to be provided long term care as a part of her employment benefits should she ever need it.

When she became disabled, Christina says she submitted all relevant medical tests and notes from her doctors that stated she could no longer work due to her disabilities. According to the Unum claim denial lawsuit, the disability provider reportedly stated that her medical records did not prove she could no longer work.

In order to be considered for Unum long term disability benefits, the policyholder must no longer be able to work in their current job or any similar occupation. In addition, the policyholder must lose at least 20 percent of their income and must prove they cannot get gainful employment elsewhere.

The lawsuit states that Christina met those requirements, with her doctors stating she was no longer able to work due to the severity of her conditions. After receiving the claim denial letter, Christina filed an appeal on Jan. 2, 2017 to try to get a reinstatement of disability benefits. However, the appeal was denied on Feb. 8, 2017.

Unum allegedly failed to provide a detailed timeline for appeals to federal court, however. Christina says she has repeatedly asked Unum to review her medical records and notes from her surgeon, but the disability provider has not done this yet.

At this point, Christina alleges she has exhausted all administrative options and has been forced to resort to legal action to get a reinstatement of disability benefits.

Unum Life Insurance Company of America is one of the oldest disability insurance providers in the United States, with millions of policyholders. The disability provider has become notorious for allegedly using system wide claim denial tactics for disability benefits. The company is reportedly known for wrongfully denying claims for mental illness and fibromyalgia and refusing to reinstate disability benefits.

Along with a reinstatement of disability benefits, Christina is also seeking compensation for all missing disability payments and other relevant damages.

This Unum Lawsuit is Case No. 2:18-cv-13628-BAF-SDD, in the United States Federal District Court of the Eastern District of Michigan.

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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