A disability insurance lawsuit filed by a dentist in Florida is garnering attention. The dentist, Mark S., claims that Provident Life and Accident Insurance Company improperly denied his disability claim.

Mark was self-employed as a private practice dentist. He purchased his own Provident insurance policies.

Disability Insurance Lawsuit Filed by Dentist

Mark is experiencing degenerative changes in his spine, making it difficult for him to repetitively stoop, lean and reach. These are all physical movements that are demanded in his occupation as a dentist.

When he made a disability claim and provided proof of his loss of functionality, Provident deemed him partially disabled. Provident paid Mark disability benefits from January 2013 through June 1, 2014.

At that time, Provident stated that Mark was not disabled as outlined in the policies and that he could return to full-time work as a dentist.

Upon learning his benefits were terminated, Mark provided further documentation to prove to Provident that he was still disabled.

According to the lawsuit, Mark’s condition did not improve between January 2013 and June 2014.

In the disability insurance lawsuit filed by the dentist, Mark claims that Provident broke its contract by terminating his benefits and failing to pay them since June 1, 2014.

No Documented Physical Improvement

As a dentist, Mark’s monthly income was $15,048.

According to the policy, residual disability benefits are payable once a person has lost at least 20 percent in earnings. The plan also explains that a person is totally disabled when the loss of income is greater than 75 percent of the prior earnings.

According to the formulas, Provident owes Mark more than $45,000 in back disability payments.

The disability insurance lawsuit filed by the dentist indicates that he satisfied all conditions to remain eligible for the benefits and never waived his entitlement to them.

Although Mark submitted evidence that his physical condition had not improved, the physician employed by Provident determined Mark had “some restrictions but with improvement” even though he had never examined Mark.

Denied Disability Claims

Provident and Unum life insurance companies merged in 1999.

As early as 2002, there were murmured allegations of unwarranted denials of claims and/or early termination of benefits by UnumProvident. Former UnumProvident employees announced on television’s 60 Minutes that they were rewarded for reaching a claim-denial monthly quota.

A doctor even claimed the insurance company fired him because he refused to assist UnumProvident in its quest to deny benefits to injured claimants.

Over the years, other doctors have come forward, stating they were encouraged to falsify medical records of disabled people to make them appear healthy on paper. That way, the claims could appear to be legitimately denied. This appears to be akin to background of the disability insurance lawsuit filed by the dentist.

Upwards of 3,000 lawsuits have been filed against Unum, Provident, Colonial Life and others under the company umbrella. Many have been successfully settled for hundreds of thousands, even millions, of dollars in compensation for denied disability claims.

The Disability Insurance Lawsuit filed by Dentist is Case No. 16-002593-CI in the Circuit Court of the Sixth Judicial Circuit in and for Pinellas County, Florida