A California man has filed a new bad faith insurance denial lawsuit against Unum, alleging the insurance giant denied him his rightful benefits without proper reason to protect their own interests.

He filed a bad faith insurance denial lawsuit because he says the company broke the law.

The plaintiff, Dr. Frank P., says he had a long career as a dentist who specialized in oral and maxillofacial (face and jaw) surgery. Unfortunately, Frank says he suffered from an injury that disabled him in 1988, preventing him from performing his occupation, which involves delicate and careful movement.

Frank says he applied for disability insurance on Oct. 18, 1988, with Unum. He says that Unum accepted the application, and held the policy for nearly thirty years, paying his premiums and expecting to receive his rightful benefits if it became necessary.

Decades later, in September 2014, Frank says he was unfortunately involved in a severe accident while diving. He claims that after he dove from a boat into a lake, Frank suffered from an injury to his neck, which resulted in paresthesia and intent pain in both his neck and right arm.

Over time, he alleges, these symptoms became worse. Weeks later, Frank says he began to experience atrophy in his right hand and forearm. As a dental surgeon, Frank says he cannot perform his duties with his hand injury. He claims he sought out medical treatment, but doctors determined that the injury is permanent.

In response, Frank alleges he submitted a claim for insurance benefits in October 2014. Initially, Unum granted Frank his benefits. However, the insurance giant noted that the benefits would extend past his sixty-fifth birthday, on March 29, 2019.

In August 2015, faced with the bad faith insurance denial in just a few short years, Frank says he still suffered from the injury that caused his disability and made him unable to work. Though the plaintiff submitted a request for reevaluation, he alleges the company issued a bad faith insurance denial in November 2015.

He then requested an appeal, but instead of issuing another bad faith insurance denial, Unum proceeded to request additional information and prolong the process over the course of two years. Finally, in January 2018, Unum sent an official denial, upholding its original decision.

Having exhausted all administrative means of addressing this issue, Dr. Pavel turned to litigation. He filed his bad faith insurance denial lawsuit on Aug. 1, 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. He filed the lawsuit on counts of breach of contract, bad faith, and declaratory relief.

Filing an Unum Bad Faith Insurance Denial Lawsuit

A growing number of plaintiffs like Carol are filing lawsuits against Unum, alleging they have been unfairly issued a bad faith insurance denial. If you have been unfairly denied long-term disability benefits by Unum, you may be able to file an Unum disability benefits lawsuit.

The Bad Faith Insurance Denial Lawsuit is Case No. 3:18-cv-01778-LAB-KSC, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.

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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