Long-term disability carriers spend a lot of money advertising on the TV. I am sure you have seen advertisements for Liberty Mutual, The Hartford, CIGNA, and other carriers claiming how they will be there for you in your time of need when you are unable to work. These insurance companies have used the media to […]

Are you tired of getting calls from the long term disability carrier asking you all sorts of questions about your medical care, what you do around the house, when you think you’ll be able to work? Have the neighbors told you that an investigator has come around asking questions or have you seen strange vehicle

If you are having financial problems because you are not getting the disability benefits you deserve, don’t delay in getting professional help. With long term disability claims, the more you wait the worse it can get. The long term disability carrier stalls, asks you for more information, harasses your doctors all the while you are

Video surveillance, under the right circumstances, can provide an overwhelming reason for the Long Term Disability carrier to deny your Long Term Disability claim. It can also capture a mere snapshot in your life and fail to reveal the complete picture of your disability. For example, surveillance may show you at a family gathering, but

The problem with disability under the Social Security program does not imply that you are disabled under your Long Term Disability policy, why? The Social Security Administration uses a five step sequential evaluation including listed impairments and an age/education grouping which was designed to manage the high number Social Security Disability claims. The Social Security

Long Term Disability policies normally say that after the payment of two years of benefits, you must prove that you are unable to do the material and substantial duties of any occupation by which you are experienced as a result of your age, education and transferable skills. One the most common tricks is for Long

Closely read, “return to work guidelines.” Long Term Disability carriers will routinely use these to deny Long Term Disability claims. What are the guidelines? Quite frankly, these guidelines are at best estimated return to work dates created by a former Long Term Disability medical claims consultant, obviously you can tell that any of these guidelines

Long Term Disability insurance companies, including UNUM, have a habit of selectively reviewing medical records looking for statements to take out of context to justify a claims denial. For example in Pelchat v. UNUM Life Insurance Company of America, 2003 US District Lexis 8095 (N.D. March 2003), the Long Term Disability policy holders physician initially

In case of Watson v. UNUM Provident, 185.fsupp.2d579 (N.D. 2002), the Long Term Disability claimant had heart disease and had suffered from cardiac arrest. His treating physician said that he was “at risk for sudden death on the job.” UNUM denied the Long Term Disability benefits and Watson appealed. According to the court “UNUM argument