An Indiana man recently filed a long term disability claim lawsuit against Unum Life Insurance Company of America over allegations of unfair long term disability denial.

Plaintiff Scott M. filed the long term disability claim lawsuit over unfair disability insurance denial in Indiana federal court on Aug.13, 2018.

According to his long term disability claim lawsuit, Scott is a resident of the state of Indiana and worked as a warehouse supervisor since 2006. He became disabled in July 2013 over complicated medical conditions involving neck surgery, rotator cuff repair, and low back pain.

According to the lawsuit, Scott became unable to work due to “degenerative disc disease with radiculopathy and history of surgery, spinal stenosis in both the cervical and lumbar regions, thoracic spine pain, labral and tendon tears with history of left shoulder surgery, degenerative joint disease with history of knee and elbow surgery, osteoarthritis, neuropathy, gout, hypertension, diabetes with associated syncope, migraines, hypersomnia, seizure disorder, and a past history of anxiety and depression.”

Disability Insurance Claims

Scott says that when he became disabled, he submitted both short term and long term disability claims; he was approved for the maximum of short-term disability benefits. He was also approved for long term disability benefits by Unum, his company’s insurance provider, in January 2014.

He says he continually received long term disability benefits through 2016. However, he says a letter dated in January 2017 advised him that he was no longer eligible and that his long term disability benefits were terminated. They advised that he no longer meets “the applicable definition of ‘Disability’ found in the long term disability policy,” he claims

Scott sought to appeal the decision, but a letter dated Dec. 12, 2017, said that Unum was denying his appeal for long term disability benefits. They allegedly cited a physician who had allegedly completed an “independent review” of his file and found Scott to be “capable of sedentary work activity” and cited that his activity level was, in fact, “consistent with sedentary work activity.”

Scott files the long term disability claim lawsuit on a count of wrongful termination of employee benefits. His Long Term Disability Claim Lawsuit is Case No. 2:18-cv-00301, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, Hammond Division.

Filing a Long Term Disability Claim Lawsuit

Thousands of lawsuits have been filed against Unum Life Insurance Company of America, America’s largest disability insurance company, for bad faith insurance. The company provides long-term and short-term disability benefits and employs nearly 100,000 people in offices throughout the country. It is one of the most recognized insurance companies in the world today.

Companies utilize Unum insurance in case of an injury or disability that renders an employee unable to work. However, plaintiffs like Scott continuously file claims against the company over the unfair denial of insurance benefits under the policies that their employers provided. They allege claims of Unum’s unfair and bad faith insurance claim activities.

Other reasons for lawsuits have further included underpayment of insurance benefits and unreasonable delays in the processing of claims.

In support of plaintiff claims, a 60 Minutes segment was in fact aired portraying the company’s unfair procedures and bad faith practices. A Regulatory Settlement Agreement was thereafter entered into by the company in 2004.

The Regulatory Settlement Agreement was signed by Unum and 40 other states. Another agreement was also entered into by the company and the California Department of Insurance in 2005. This was also a result of the company’s unfair mishandling of consumer’s disability benefits and policies.

Plaintiffs say the company is only trying to increase their profits and revenues when they deny consumer long term disability benefits. The filing of a long term disability claim lawsuit is a claimant’s next step after exhausting all other remedies and sought administrative appeals.

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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