A widow of a former Navy Seal and Virginia Beach business COO claims her Unum benefits, specifically life insurance benefits for which she was entitled to after the death of her husband from terminal cancer, were wrongfully withheld by the insurance provider.

Plaintiff Kenette S. claims that prior to his death in July 2014, her husband Michael S. was enrolled in a Unum Group Insurance plan as a benefit of his employment with International Preparedness Associates, a company which he co-founded.

According to the Unum benefits lawsuit, the couple’s Unum benefits plan included life, accidental death, and long term disability insurance coverages. Kenette claims they paid their premiums on time, even making a payment for a $250,000 Unum Basic Life Insurance policy past the date of Michael’s death.

However, Kenette says that on Sept. 11, 2014, Unum denied her application for the Life Insurance Proceeds that her husband had fully paid for under their Unum benefits plan.  She claims that the denied disability benefits letter she received did not contain the required specificity and instead made a vague allegation that Michael was not actively working at the time of his death.

Kenette appealed Unum’s decision in Dec. 2015, but the company denied her appeal, claiming that Michael’s employment had been terminated prior to his death, making him ineligible for Unum benefits.

Upon receipt of Unum’s denial letter, Kenette appealed a second time, alleging Unum misinterpreted their own policy and cited the Unum benefits policy provision “if you are not working due to injury or sickness and if the premium is paid, you may continue to be covered up to your retirement date.  Again, [Michael S.] never retired nor was he terminated.”

Still, Unum has refused to reopen Kenette’s claim and stands by its denial decision, exhausting her administrative remedies and forcing her to file legal action against Unum as the beneficiary of the life insurance benefits due to the death of Michael S.

Unum Denied Disability Benefits

Unum, formerly known as Paul Revere, Provident, and then Unum Provident, is the world’s largest disability insurance provider. Unfortunately, Unum has also gained a notorious reputation for denied disability benefits.

Among tactics allegedly used by Unum to unreasonably delay or deny disability insurance claims:

• Arguing the policyholder had a pre-existing condition, even if that condition is not linked to the one being claimed
• Refusing to acknowledge certain disabilities
• Ignoring professional medical diagnosis or using biased experts
• Changing policies after a claim is filed
• Claiming a person is not disabled and can work, despite a medical diagnosis from a professional

Such tactics listed above fall under bad faith insurance, and if an insurer has committed bad faith insurance, policyholders who were improperly or unreasonably denied disability benefits may be eligible to file a complaint against the insurance company.

Unum Benefits Lawsuits

Unum continues to face numerous bad faith insurance denial lawsuits over rejecting claims with no apparent basis other than not wanting to pay the claims.

Long term disability attorneys claim that many Unum lawsuits stem from denial of legitimate Unum insurance claims in which the insurance company allegedly fails to compensate the insured for a loss covered by their policy, or unreasonably delays making payments due under the policy.

Long term disability attorneys are currently seeking plaintiffs who have been wrongfully denied life insurance or other Unum benefits without just cause. If you or a loved one suffered a serious disability while insured by Unum and have been denied disability claim benefits, an experienced long term disability attorney can help you file an Unum lawsuit.

The Unum Benefits Denial Lawsuit is Case No. 1:16-cv-00208 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Alexandria Division.