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.
Tommy – Distribution Tester – Lusby, Maryland
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder, Panic Disorder, Anxiety, Depression, Kidney Stones, Tight Toe Tumor Removal, Diabetes, Hypertension, Hypercholesterolemia, Obesity
A Distribution Tester from Maryland had to stop working following a severely traumatic event of being shot at while sitting in his work truck. As a result of this traumatic event, he suffered from bullet fragments in his neck, and glass fragments in his face. Subsequently, he developed severe anxiety and panic attacks.
However, his insurer denied his Long Term Disability benefits claim, alleging that they did not received any measurable clinical findings to support his inability to work. CIGNA went on to claim that his medical conditions did not preclude him from performing the material duties of his regular occupation.
Shocked at this decision, he contacted the attorneys at Fields Law Firm with only 45 days to submit an appeal. The attorneys at Fields Law were able to collect all the medical records and reports from our client’s doctors and submit an appeal quickly and efficiently. After receiving the appeal, CIGNA realized they needed to overturn their prior decision to deny benefits, and determined our client was indeed disabled. CIGNA issued a check for all the months our client was entitled to immediately, and our client was very happy with the work the Fields Law attorneys did on his Long Term Disability appeal.
Samantha – Support Service Technician – Mehtuen, Massachusetts
Panic Disorder, Anxiety, Migraines, Pre-Syncope, Pelvic Pain from Separated Pelvis from Pregnancy
A Massachusetts woman worked as a Support Service Technician for a very large technology company before being forced to leave work due to a high risk pregnancy. She subsequently developed further complications, and was diagnosed with panic disorder, anxiety, chronic migraines, pre-syncope, and a separated pelvis. She applied for Long Term Disability benefits, but was denied by CIGNA. The denial letter claimed that her medical file did not support work restrictions from her date of disability through the delivery of her baby. Further, they wrote that the severity of her pelvic pain and symptoms was not enough to continuously support disability.
Feeling like she was running out of options, and not wanting to take the risk of appealing the decision herself, the woman sought out help from Fields Law Firm. Our attorneys ordered a significant amount of medical records which CIGNA claimed not to possess, worked with her own physicians to produce supportive narrative reports, and even had a functional capacity evaluation conducted. The Fields Law lawyers then wrote and submitted an appeal well before CIGNA’s deadline, and they reversed their decision. Our client soon received a check in the mail for back payments, and had her benefits reinstated.
Candace – Senior Software Engineer – Charlton, Massachusetts
Cervical Dystonia, Depression, Anxiety
A Senior Software Engineer from Massachusetts was forced to stop working, less than a decade before retirement. She had battled anxiety and depression for years, but recently developed a progressive and incurable neurological condition. The disease was called Cervical Dystonia, and it caused her neck muscles to uncontrollably contract, forcing her head to painfully twist and turn. Her quality of life began deteriorating quickly, and then she learned that she needed brain surgery to address her worsening condition.
Rightfully concerned about her financial security, she applied for Long Term Disability benefits. However, while CIGNA reviewed her claim, they began sending her a seemingly endless number of requests for more information. She responded to the requests at her own expense, but CIGNA still denied her application for benefits a month later. In their denial, they effectively claimed that she wasn’t actually disabled and was just choosing not to work.
She was frustrated with the insurance provider’s tactics, and sought out the best disability advocates to handle her case. She found the team of attorneys at Fields Law Firm. Our attorneys were able to get to work on her case right away, gathering the necessary documents, and obtaining favorable medical opinions from her treating physicians.
Our attorneys reviewed the denial letter and wrote a strong appeal. We argued that CIGNA had failed to both properly consider our client’s medical records and conduct due diligence through an independent medical examination. Based on our appeal, the insurer agreed to conduct an independent medical review. After receiving the results of the review, they quickly overturned their previous denial, granting our client Long Term Disability benefits with back pay. Our client was soon able to cash a substantial check and began receiving regular payments for her Long Term Disability benefits.
