A Georgia woman recently filed a lawsuit against Unum alleging that her ERISA long term disability claim was wrongfully denied.

The plaintiff, Christine H., works for SA IT Services as a Chief Human Resources Officer. As part of her employment, Christine was covered under a long term disability program. SA IT Services purchased the insurance policy through Unum Life Insurance Company of America as part of its overall welfare benefit plan.

Unfortunately, Christine became totally disabled due to multiple sclerosis and severe accompanying symptoms. These symptoms include but are not limited to chronic back pain, hand and leg numbness, migraines, dizziness, and a rapid heartbeat. The severity of her condition prevented Christine from continuing with her duties as a Chief Human Resources Officer and she stopped working on March 27, 2015.

Christine filed her ERISA long term disability claim shortly thereafter. However, Unum’s response was not what she was expecting. Unum denied her ERISA long term disability claim, stating Christine was still “able to perform the duties of her regular occupation” which was at a “sedentary level”.

Christine disagreed with this assessment, claiming that she was no longer able to perform her job’s duties. In November 2015, Christine appealed the decision and added new information, including an appeal letter, a Functional Capacities assessment by her doctor, and even a statement from her employer with regard to her work limitations. Despite this new evidence, Unum once again denied Christine’s appeal for her ERISA long term disability claim.

Having exhausted all administrative recourse, Christine has now initiated litigation to contest Unum’s decision, alleging that the denial is a breach of the terms of her Unum insurance policy. Christine’s ERISA long term disability lawsuit was filed on Nov. 8, 2017, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.

Filing an Unum ERISA Long Term Disability Lawsuit

A growing number of plaintiffs like Christine are filing ERISA long term disability lawsuits against Unum, claiming that the insurance giant unfairly denied their ERISA long term disability claim to benefits that they are rightfully qualified for under the terms of their insurance policies. Some lawsuits even allege that the company purposely denied the claims of hundreds of thousands of workers with legitimate disabilities for no reason other to increase company profit.

Consumers who have exhausted all recourse through applications and administrative appeals for disability benefits may turn to filing a lawsuit over denied disability benefits, hoping to reverse Unum’s denial.

If you or someone you know has been unfairly denied their ERISA long term disability benefits by Unum Life Insurance Company of America, you may be able to file an ERISA long term disability claim lawsuit.

The ERISA Long Term Disability Lawsuit is Case No. 1:17-cv-04491-TWT, in the U.S. District Court for the Atlanta Division of the Northern District of Georgia.

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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