A Unum bad faith insurance denial lawsuit was filed by a Michigan woman against Unum Life Insurance Company alleging the company wrongfully denied long-term disability benefits under her employer’s plan.

Long-term disability benefits provide financial benefits to employees when they are unable to work due to a disability regardless of whether that illness or injury is work-related.

Unum Insurance policyholder Nancy K. filed her Unum bad faith insurance lawsuit on Jan. 12. She was a full-time registered nurse who worked for Mercy Health Services and participated in the Mercy Health Employee Benefit Plan which contracted with Unum Insurance to provide long-term disability benefits to full-time employees, the lawsuit says.

According to the Unum claim denial lawsuit, Nancy was unable to continue to work because of severe injuries to her arm and wrist as a result of an at-home fall for which she had to have multiple surgeries. Unum originally approved her benefits but then terminated her disability benefits on the basis of an allegedly biased “functional capacities evaluation.”

Despite Nancy providing overwhelming medical proof, including physician statements indicating that Nancy was “totally and permanently disabled and would be unable to work as a Registered Nurse and/or in any other full-time occupation,” her Unum lawsuit alleges that without legal justification Unum denied Nancy’s appeal for long-term disability benefits.

Unum Poor Business Tactics

Unum and its subsidiaries have repeatedly been found liable for questionable practices relating to denied disability claims.

Among tactics allegedly used by insurers to unreasonably delay or deny insurance claims is ignoring professional medical diagnosis or using biased experts, changing policies after a claim is filed, and claiming a person is not disabled and can work, despite a medical diagnosis from a professional.

Such tactics fall under bad faith insurance, and if an insurer has committed bad faith insurance, policyholders whose claims have been improperly or unreasonably denied or delayed may be eligible to file a complaint against the insurance company.

Unum Bad Faith Insurance Lawsuits

Unum lawsuits seek compensation for policyholders whose claims have been improperly or unreasonably denied or delayed by Unum Insurance’s alleged bad faith insurance practices.

Nancy K. is seeking to recover payment of all long-term disability benefits withheld pursuant to section 502(a) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), with interest and continued payment of the benefits, as well as attorney’s fees and cost.

The Unum Bad Faith Insurance Lawsuit is Case No. 1:15-cv-00029-RJJ, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, Southern Division.