A Unum bad faith insurance claim was recently filed by an Alabama woman alleging she was unfairly denied long-term disability insurance benefits.

Plaintiff Amanda C. filed the Unum bad faith insurance claim in Alabama federal court on Dec. 19, 2017.

According to the Unum bad faith insurance claim, Amanda began working as a branch manager for EFCU Pensacola beginning July 17, 2007. It was several years into her job, she says, that she developed significant bladder problems, including interstitial cystitis with bladder prolapse.

In December 2011, she says that she underwent a vaginal hysterectomy. But although she attempted to return to work following the procedure, she continued to suffer from fatigue, and pain, stemming from bladder problems.

It was in March 2012 that she became eligible for long-term disability insurance. Unum found Amanda disabled under the terms of her policy, shortly after she submitted her request for long-term disability insurance, in April 2012.

Two years later, Unum announced that they were undertaking a new review to verify that she still qualified for long-term disability insurance benefits.

According to the Unum bad faith insurance claim, “the Plan’s disability definition switched from being based on whether … [Amanda] could perform the material and substantial duties of her regular occupation to whether she could perform such duties in any occupation for which she could qualify by way of training, education and experience.”

To prove that she remained disabled and unable to work, she provided evaluations from her treatment providers showing proof of her disability. Unum, however, continued to deny what her treatment providers had to say and remained adamant in their decision to decline her continued eligibility.

Following the closure and termination of her claim on Jan. 19, 2017, she appealed, and further advised Unum that she received notice from the Social Security Administration (SSA), after also filing for disability, that the SSA found her disability to be continuing. However, on Apr. 21, 2017, Unum denied the appeal and denied her request.

Filing a Unum Bad Faith Insurance Claim

According to Vault, Unum Life Insurance Company of America is a top disability insurer in the U.S. and the U.K. The company provides short-term and long-term disability insurance. Subsidiaries of the company based in the U.S. include Provident Life and Accident, First Unum Life, Colonial Life & Accident, and Paul Revere Life Insurance. The company covers almost 33 million people around the world which includes 181,000 U.S. businesses.

However, several consumers have filed Unum bad faith insurance claims against the Fortune 500 company accusing it of actions ranging from unreasonable delays in claim processing, unfounded denials of insurance claims, and the underpayment of insurance benefits.

Filing a Unum bad faith insurance claim is typically a last resort for consumers who have exhausted other remedies through appeals and other methods for denied insurance disability benefits.

In a televised feature shown on 60 Minutes, Unum was documented in a segment showing the company’s widespread bad faith practices. Employees and physicians were aired stating that one of the company’s goals was not only to close out claims but to reward adjusters for denying an individuals’ insurance benefits.

Following the segment, in 2004, Unum signed a Regulatory Settlement Agreement with 40 states for their mishandling of insurance benefits. In 2005, the company signed an agreement with the California Department of Insurance for their alleged wrongful handling of insurance claims.

The Unum Bad Faith Insurance Claim Lawsuit is Case No. 5:17-cv-02129-HNJ, in the U.S. District Court for Northern District of Alabama.

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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