Insurance is a system based on trust. You put your faith in the fact that by paying into an insurance plan, you are ensuring that your insurance company will pay you back if something goes wrong. A new bad faith lawsuit against Unum alleges that they have failed to keep their end of the deal.

Plaintiff Phillip Savarino alleges in his Unum bad faith lawsuit that the insurer denied his legitimate long-term disability insurance in bad faith, deliberately breaking the terms of a contract.

Savarino worked as an assistant principal at Port Arthur Independent School District. During his tenure, he paid a disability insurance plan covered by Unum. The text of his initial filing does not go into detail, but states that he developed “several injuries… in the course and scope of his employment.” Savarino’s lawsuit asserts that these injuries disabled him to the point that he could not perform his duties as an assistant principal, leading him to file a claim for his disability insurance in March of 2013. His insurance claim was denied.

The insurance bad faith lawsuit holds that Unum’s actions constitute a breach of contract, in that Savarino paid into the disability insurance plan and Unum has failed to pay, even though he is now disabled. The lawsuit holds that these actions were the result of intentional fraud, and breach of Texas state insurance law and regulation. It also charges that the lawsuit violated the Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

Damages Sought

With the Unum bad faith lawsuit, Savarino seeks several types of compensation. It primarily seeks to compel Unum to honor the initial insurance policy, and pay out accordingly. This includes back-owed payments dating back to the initial insurance claim. It also seeks additional money, like the reimbursement for legal fees and interest on the back-owed payments. Savarino’s suit seeks more than a million dollars in damages from Unum.

The Unum bad faith lawsuit is Philip Carl Savarino Vs. Unum Life Insurance Company of America, Case No. 1:14-cv-00019-MAC, filed in the District Court of Jefferson County, Texas.

Help with Disability Claims

If you’ve had a legitimate disability insurance claim denied, you’ve almost certainly been through a trying ordeal. Disability insurance is the backup plan, so individuals who have claims denied in bad faith are often out of options. When facing a situation, many people feel overwhelmed, or even depressed.