Unum Life Insurance Company is facing a new claim denial lawsuit, which was filed by a man from Missouri alleging his claim for disability insurance was wrongfully denied.

The man alleges that he met all eligibility requirements to receive coverage, but his claim for disability insurance was allegedly denied under bad faith circumstances.

Plaintiff Harvey K. filed the claim for disability insurance after allegedly becoming unable to work due to a number of medical conditions, including diabetic symptoms. Before developing diabetes, Harvey says he had been fully employed at Lee Enterprises Inc. as an area distribution manager.

Harvey’s occupational duties included regularly performing physical tasks like lifting 10 pounds, sitting for long periods of time and standing or walking around for brief periods.

In his complaint, Harvey says he began working for the company on July 23, 2003, but developed a number of serious medical conditions over the next three years including but not limited to:

• Diabetes (Diagnosed in 1994 and insulin shots initiated in 1998)
• End stage kidney disease
• Peripheral neuropathy
• Coronary artery disease
• Low back pain
• Shoulder pain
• Obstructive sleep apnea

Due to these medical conditions, Harvey says he has not been able to work since Dec. 15, 2007. Along with these medical conditions, Harvey allegedly had a history of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia since 2003 and had to be hospitalized several times for the condition. Harvey also developed an ulcer on Dec. 14, 2007, and was instructed by his doctor to stay off work.

Overview of Disability Claim Denial Allegations

According to the claim denial lawsuit, Harvey had to undergo a number of surgeries and intense medical procedures to treat this condition.

Allegedly unable to work, Harvey filed a claim for long term disability coverage. During the claim filing process, Harvey says he followed all application instructions and submitted all medical testimony from his doctors.

However, Harvey’s claim for disability insurance was reportedly denied, leading him to file legal action against the company.

According to Unum’s long term disability coverage policy, a policyholder must be unable to perform the occupational duties of their job and be unable to work in a similar occupation. In addition, the policyholder must prove they lost at least 20 percent of their indexed monthly earnings due to this disability.

Even though Harvey allegedly met all eligibility requirements and has been unable to work due to his compromised medical condition, Unum still denied his claim for disability insurance. Harvey is filing this claim denial lawsuit seeking all missing disability payments, along with any other relevant damages.

Unum Life Insurance Company is one of the oldest and largest disability providers in the United States, with over 15 million policyholders. While disability insurance is supposed to be provided when needed, Unum has developed a negative reputation for allegedly denying disability claims under bad faith insurance.

Bad faith insurance is when the insurance provider denies a claim for the best interest of the company and does not act in the best interest of their policyholder. Harvey alleges Unum performed bad faith insurance when deciding to deny his claim for disability insurance which he needs for his extensive medical treatment.

This Claim Denial Lawsuit is Case No. 4:18-cv-01081-RLW, in the U.S. District Court of Eastern Missouri, Eastern Division.

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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