A new Unum Life Insurance Company lawsuit was recently filed in federal court.

The Unum lawsuit alleges that Unum wrongfully denied the plaintiff’s long-term disability benefits. Unum has faced thousands of similar Unum lawsuits after the television program “60 Minutes” aired an episode in 2002 revealing a corporate strategy of systematically denying policy holders’ disability claims in order to increase the company’s profits.

The recent Unum lawsuit was filed by Carla L., a resident of Washington, who alleges was covered under an Unum insurance policy while she was employed as a housekeeper at St. John’s hospital. Carla was employed at the hospital from January 2001 until September 2006. Carla stopped working in September 2006 because of her physical impairments, which included a malformation in her brain, diabetes, fibromyalgia, neuropathy, inflammatory arthritis, and secondary depression caused by her chronic physiological problems.

Unum approved Carla’s claim for long-term disability benefits in January of 2007. At that time she received $1,200 per month from Unum in disability payments. In May of 2008, Carla was approved for Social Security payments and her Unum disability was reduced to approximately $500 per month due to her supplemented income. In October of 2011, Unum stopped sending Carla disability payments altogether, claiming she no longer qualified because her disability was due to a mental condition identified as depression.

According to the disability benefit denial lawsuit, Carla filed an appeal. In her appeal, she provided evidence to support that her disability was in fact physiological and her depression was a secondary effect of those disabling physical symptoms. The Unum lawsuit states that Carla exhausted all of her administrative remedies, which is why she is now bringing an Unum disability benefits denial lawsuit in federal court. Her Unum lawsuit asks for reinstatement of her disability benefits, back pay for all unpaid benefits, and compensation for her emotional pain and suffering.

Overview of Unum Lawsuits

Unum is one of America’s leading disability insurance providers. Almost 40 percent of disability insurance policies in the United States are held by Unum or one of its subsidiaries. Lawsuits against the company claim that Unum has a policy of wrongfully denying disability claims. Allegations against the company go so far as to allege that claims adjusters were rewarded for meeting a goal based on denying disability benefits regardless of whether the claims were valid.

Over 3,000 lawsuits have been filed against the disability insurance company on behalf of the federal government, state governments, and private citizens. An Unum class action lawsuit investigation has also begun in order to seek out plaintiffs with valid claims against the company.

Disability insurance lawsuits like the ones recently brought against Unum are important because they hold large corporations accountable for their actions and remind the businesses that they owe a specific duty of care to their consumers. Successful Unum lawsuits will help many victims reinstate their disability payments as well as receive back-payments for the time period that their disability was wrongfully denied.

The Unum Disability Insurance Denial Lawsuit is Case No.3:15-cv-05342-RBL, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, Tacoma Division.