An Unum disability insurance denial lawsuit was filed against Unum Life Insurance company, claiming the disability insurance provider used bad faith insurance practices against the plaintiff. This is one of thousands of Unum lawsuits that have been filed concerning alleged wrongful termination of long-term disability benefits.

The Unum lawsuit was filed by plaintiff Nasreen A. in California federal court. Nasreen was an employee of Bluetrain Corporation where she worked as a Senior Oracle Database Administrator. Her job required her to sit for long periods of time and engage in repetitive motions.

In 2001, the plaintiff filed for short-term disability through Unum Life Insurance Company. According to the Unum disability insurance denial lawsuit, she allegedly suffered from fibromyalgia, joint pain, degenerative disc disease, and several other severe joint conditions in addition to bipolar disorder and severe anxiety.

In 2002, the plaintiff was diagnosed with medical and lateral epicondylitis, which “classified her as indisputably and clearly disabled and unable to work due to her disabilities,” and would have entitled her to Unum disability benefits, according to her Unum lawsuit.

When Nasreen eventually filed for long-term disability benefits, she was denied her disability claim by Unum, according to the disability insurance lawsuit. She fought her disability insurance denial five years later when she asked Unum for a reassessment. In December 2007, Unum reversed their disability insurance denial and granted the plaintiff the long-term disability benefits she was entitled to by her disability insurance plan.

Unum Disability Insurance Denial

Yet two years later, Unum again, through alleged bad faith insurance practices, terminated the plaintiff’s long-term disability benefits, “despite the fact that [the plaintiff] was and remains unable to perform the substantial and material duties of her own or any gainful occupation,” according to the Unum lawsuit.

Nasreen filed this Unum lawsuit accusing Unum of bad faith insurance practices, claiming the company did not fully examine her claim and wrongfully denied her Unum disability benefits. She further alleges Unum also failed to provide her with a detailed explanation as to why they denied her long-term disability benefits.

Nasreen also claims that Unum practiced bad faith insurance with her first disability insurance denial in 2002 and repeated this process when they revoked her benefits in 2014.

This Unum Lawsuit also alleges the life insurance company breached fiduciary duties under ERISA, which states that Unum must act in the best interest of their beneficiaries. The Unum lawsuit lists several violations of fiduciary duties including refusing to pay Nasreen her Unum disability benefits, “improperly terminating [long-term disability benefits],” and relying on biased medical opinions as grounds for disability insurance denial.

Nasreen is one of thousands of individuals who have filed Unum lawsuits against one of the largest disability insurance providers in the country, all similarly alleging Unum regularly denies long-term disability benefits to their qualifying policyholders. 

This Unum Lawsuit is Case No. 3:15-cv-00076, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.