A Missouri resident recently filed an Unum lawsuit against the insurance company, claiming that the company wrongfully denied him disability benefits.

Plaintiff Leland G. was granted disability benefits from Unum as per his policy from September 10, 2013 through August 20, 2014.

Thereafter, though Leland attempted to appeal this decision through administrative means, he claim was continuously denied despite having legitimate disabilities according to his contract.

Finally, on August 28, 2015, Leland received a final denial notice from Unum. At this point, Leland had used every means of reversing this disability claim denial with the administration, and decided to take another approach.

In one last attempt to claim his rightful disability benefits, Leland has filed an Unum lawsuit.

According to the Unum lawsuit, the policy that Leland’s employer held with Unum guaranteed him disability benefits if he became disabled. Despite allegedly fitting the policy’s definition of disabled, the company failed to grant him his rightful disability benefits.

By filing this Unum lawsuit, Leland hopes to reinstate his disability benefits and collect on the benefits he is now owed from the wrongful disability claim denial.

Appealing Disability Insurance Denials

Most Americans don’t need to worry about their insurance claims being denied. Indeed, only about three percent of disability insurance claims are denied. However, for the percentage of people who are denied necessary benefits, it can seem difficult or even impossible to move forward after having disability benefits withheld.

A good portion of those who appeal these denials are later granted their benefits. Between 39 and 59 percent of appeals made to an insurer are granted, and between 23 and 50 percent of appeals made to third parties are granted, according to the GAO.

These numbers vary depending on the state in which the appeal was filed.

It can sometimes be quite difficult to appeal a disability insurance denial. For instance, an insurance company like Unum may not consider a person’s disability sufficiently disabling, or may not understand why a certain disability prevents a person from performing their career work.

There are administrative approaches to appealing wrongful insurance denials in an attempt to gain back lost disability benefits, but this may not be enough to reverse a denial.

In some cases, people who have been denied disability benefits are forced to undergo litigation.

Filing an Unum Lawsuit

While it is completely possible that an insurer denied benefits based on an administrative error or error in judgment, it is also possible that there may be some kind of unfair denial process going on. In these cases, a person who has been denied their rightful benefits may pursue litigation against their insurer.

These lawsuits, including Leland’s Unum lawsuit, allege that an insurer denied a person’s legitimate disability insurance claim, breaching a legally binding contract.

For some plaintiffs, an Unum lawsuit could result in thousands or even millions of dollars in settlement money.

If you or someone you know has wrongfully been denied disability benefits, you may be able to file an Unum lawsuit.

The Unum Lawsuit is Case No. 6:16-cv-03248 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, Southern Division.