Brigette Honaker  |  June 21, 2018

Category: Consumer News

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lymphoma disability claimUnum faces yet another lawsuit from a consumer claiming that his lymphoma disability claim benefits were wrongfully stopped.

Plaintiff Scott S. recently filed an Unum disability lawsuit against Unum Life Insurance Company of America, claiming that his lymphoma disability claim benefits were wrongfully stopped. The lawsuit also names as a defendant Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc., Scott’s former employer and the plan administrator for Scott’s Unum disability benefits.

Scott says he formerly worked as a directorate administrator at The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, through which he qualified for Unum disability benefits. Under his benefits, Scott filed a lymphoma disability claim when he developed stage 1 cancer.

After intense treatment, Scott’s cancer went into remission but left him with multiple medical conditions and disabling conditions. Scott says he now experiences severe chemotherapy-induced neuropathy, decreased cognitive function, and significant lower back pain due to a herniated disc.

Due to his condition, Scott found himself unable to perform his job and left work in September 2014. His original lymphoma disability claim was approved, and he was paid benefits from March 2015 to May 2017. However, on May 31, 2017, Unum sent Scott a letter saying they would no longer pay his benefits because his policy has “a limitation for disabilities due to a mental illness”.

After receiving the alert, The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory discontinued Scott’s participation in Unum benefits and ceased paying his insurance premiums. Scott attempted to appeal Unum’s decision to deny his lymphoma disability claim benefits but was informed that Unum would not change their position.

Scott maintains that he is physically disabled and is unable to perform the job duties required of him, classifying him as disabled. He argues that this classification entitles him to continued benefits and that by terminating his lymphoma disability claim benefits, Unum has breached their fiduciary duties owed under ERISA. Scott seeks a review of his lymphoma disability claim, a ruling that he is entitled to benefits, unpaid lymphoma disability claim benefits plus interest, court costs, and attorneys’ fees.

Unum is a life insurance company which provides benefits for policyholders through their employers. The company is currently the largest disability insurance company in the United States, handling an estimated 40% of disability insurance policies and covering over 17 million Americans. The company deals with disability claims, such as Scott’s lymphoma disability claim, and is in charge of paying benefits for disabled policyholders and determining individual eligibility.

Over the past few years, Unum has been repeatedly accused of wrongfully denying claims or terminating benefits in claims similar to Scott’s lymphoma disability claim. Claims against Unum argue that the denial of legitimate claims stems from a corporate strategy that awards employees for denying a large number of claims.

Employees interviewed in a 2002 60 Minutes episode corroborated these claims, adding that the company sets a claim denial quota for each month. This alleged conduct has prompted nearly 3,000 lawsuits filed by the government, regulators, and policyholders.

The Unum Disability Lawsuit is Case No. 4:18-cv-40089-TSH in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

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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