New Lawsuit Filed Over Unfair Unum Long Term Disability Denial

A New York man recently filed a lawsuit against Unum Life Insurance Company of America, alleging that he was wrongly hit with an Unum long term disability denial.

The plaintiff, William J., says he was covered under his employer for short term and long term disability benefits through Unum. Somewhat ironically, William was himself working for a company in the healthcare industry—he worked as a Construction Project Manager for CVS Pharmacy.

Unfortunately, he became disabled on May 31, 2017 because of his diagnosis with chronic Lyme disease. Symptoms of his disease included cerebral dysfunction, fatigue, optic neuritis, and noise sensitivity, which each pose an impairment to his work, he says. As a result, William says he had to stop working and file a disability claim.

William alleges he was approved for short term benefits, which he received for the maximum period, through Nov. 29, 2017. He applied for long term benefits on Nov. 1, 2017. His application was approved and benefits paid until Jan. 26, 2018—when he says he suddenly received an Unum long term disability denial.

According to Unum’s letter of denial, William was in fact able to perform his occupational duties despite his conditions. When William appeal the Unum long term disability denial and submitted additional medical evidence showing the disabling impairments caused by his medical conditions, he says Unum once again denied his claim.

At that point, William had run out of administrative options and turned to litigation.

According to his lawsuit, Unum has a conflict of interest and a bias that encourages its workers to deny claims in order to reach monthly targets.

William filed his Unum lawsuit on May 2, 2019, in the U.S. District Court for the Chattanooga Division of the Eastern District of Tennessee.

Filing an Unum Lawsuit

William is far from the first to be affected by this issue. Indeed, nearly 40 percent of disability insurance policies in the United States are handled by Unum, which covers around 17 million Americans. So far, thousands of lawsuits have been filed against Unum for unfair claim denial, alleging that Unum employees deny legitimate claims for benefits in order to meet a claim denial quota.

An Unum class action lawsuit investigation has been launched to look into the allegations of Unum benefit denials and terminations.

If you have been hit with an unfair Unum long term disability denial or termination when you are in fact eligible for long term disability benefits, you may be able to file an Unum lawsuit and pursue compensation. Filing a lawsuit can feel overwhelming, but Top Class Actions has taken some of the guesswork out of the process by connecting you with an experienced insurance attorney. Consulting an attorney can help you determine if you have a claim, navigate the complexities of litigation, and maximize your compensation.

The Unum Long Term Disability Denial Lawsuit is Case No. 1:19-cv-00131, in the U.S. District Court for the Chattanooga Division of the Eastern District of Tennessee.