Short & Long Term Disability Cases We’ve Won for Our Clients Against CIGNA
Fields Law Firm successfully recovers millions of dollars each year for our disabled clients throughout the United States. Our Long Term Disability experience is matched by very few other law firms in the country and has earned us a national reputation.
Here are just a few examples of our Long Term Disability appeal case wins against CIGNA.
Glenda – Program Coordinator – Fairmont, West Virginia
Small Cell Fiber Peripheral Neuropathy, Double Vision, Brain Fog, Insomnia, Chronic Pain, Mobility Difficulties, Imbalance Issues
A Program Coordinator for a crime center in West Virginia developed a progressive and complex case of Small Cell Fiber Peripheral Neuropathy in all four of her extremities. Eventually, she was forced to leave work due to her symptoms which included perpetual Brain Fog, Double Vision, Insomnia, Severe Mobility Issues and Chronic Pain. She applied for Long Term Disability benefits and was approved. She remained on benefits for five months until the insurer cut them off with a denial letter.
CIGNA based their decision on a letter they had sent to one of her physicians, asking if she could return to work. He had said she could. The woman signed up with Fields Law to pursue her case against the insurance company. Our attorneys quickly determined that the doctor in question was not her primary treating doctor, but a specialist who didn’t have an accurate picture of the full spectrum of her conditions. Furthermore, our lawyers discovered that CIGNA then had sent a wholly different letter to her primary physician attempting to get him to agree with the first doctor’s opinion.
Our attorneys quickly wrote to her doctors to straighten things out and confirm their opinions that our client was unable to work. Our team also gathered all of the recent medical records to support the appeal our attorneys were drafting. The Fields Law attorneys submitted a lengthy appeal to CIGNA, supported by numerous exhibits. The insurer considered the appeal and soon overturned their prior denial decision. They then paid out back benefits and reinstated future benefits going forward.
Roland – Aircraft Mechanic – Afton, Wyoming
Back Pain, Depression
Working as an aircraft mechanic with a major aircraft company for over 31 years, a man from Wyoming began to develop low back pain that led to the development of major depressive disorder. He left work and applied for benefits from his Long Term Disability insurer, which was denied. The insurer stated that his medical treatment failed to demonstrate his conditions were severe enough to preclude working at his physically demanding and highly skilled job.
He hired Fields Law to file an appeal against his insurer. On appeal, our attorneys submitted medical records from all of the client’s treating providers, a narrative report from his orthopedic specialist, and a functional capacity evaluation that showed he was unable to perform his heavy-duty job on a physical basis. After review of the appeal, the insurance company agreed our client was disabled and reinstated his disability benefits.
Scott – Operations Supervisor – Tomah, Wisconsin
Multi-level Degenerative Disc Space Narrowing of Lumbar Spine, Lyme’s Disease, Type II Diabetes
An Operations Supervisor from Wisconsin was diagnosed with multi-level degenerative disc space narrowing of his lumbar spine, Lyme’s disease, and Type II diabetes. Due to his conditions, he was unable to continue performing his job and taken off of work by his doctors. He was initially awarded Short Term Disability benefits by his insurer. However, after paying Short Term benefits for only two months he received a letter in the mail claiming his medical conditions were not severe enough to prevent him from performing his work duties.
Out of work on doctors’ orders and now being told he would not receive any further disability payments, he immediately reached out to Fields Law to assist in challenging this decision. Our attorneys worked with his doctors to secure narrative reports and medical records supporting his inability to work. Our team also assisted him in navigating the procedural maze of applying for Social Security Disability benefits.
After reviewing all of his insurer’s documentation, our attorneys identified several times where critical medical and vocational evidence was ignored, misstated, or selectively cited. We drafted our appeal challenging the denial of Short Term Disability benefits and successfully convinced his insurance company to reverse its denial. Our client then received a favorable disability ruling from the Social Security Administration and our team is now pursuing his Long Term Disability benefits. Our client was extremely relieved receiving not only his significant back pay owed to him but also in knowing that he would now enjoy on-going monthly benefits.
