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.
Calvin – Field Service Technician – Fort Pierce, Florida
Severe Bilateral Leg Claudication, Bilateral Non-Diabetic Neuropathy
A Field Service Technician from Florida began developing severe bilateral claudication and bilateral non-diabetic neuropathy in his legs. No longer able to work all day on his feet, he was forced to leave work as a result. He applied for both Short Term and Long Term Disability benefits from his insurance carrier. Unfortunately, the insurance company denied his claim. In their denial letter, they repeatedly cited the opinion of a doctor he had only seen once.
He knew he needed help appealing the insurer’s decision and retained Fields Law. The Fields Law attorneys quickly outlined the weaknesses in the insurer’s denial letter and began crafting pointed arguments to counter their assertions. The Fields Law team also secured a supportive narrative and functional capacity evaluation from our client’s treating physicians. Fields Law then submitted the appeal well before the insurer’s deadline. After sending it to their internal review department, the insurance company soon overturned their prior decision and approved both Short Term and Long Term Disability benefits. Our client soon received two checks for his back-benefits, and the insurer began paying out future Long Term Disability benefits.
Richard – Instrument Technician – Dover, Delaware
Tibial Dysfunction, Bilateral Foot Arthritis, Bilateral Knee Osteoarthritis, Degenerative Joint Disease of the Knees, Hypertension, Congestive Heart Failure, Sleep Apnea
An Instrument Technician from Delaware suffered from tibia dysfunction, bilateral foot arthritis, bilateral knee osteoarthritis, degenerative joint disease of the knees, hypertension, congestive heart failure and sleep apnea. After being taken off work by his doctors he applied for Long Term Disability benefits through his employer’s plan. Originally, CIGNA approved his benefits, but then discontinued them asserting his conditions had sufficiently improved such that benefits were no longer payable. This occurred shortly after he was approved for Social Security Disability benefits.
He reached out to Fields Law Firm for help appealing this decision. Our attorneys drafted an appeal that established CIGNA had relied upon selective evidence that misstated our client’s work restrictions and limitations and the required abilities of his occupation. Additionally, we received narrowly tailored narrative reports from our client’s treating doctor’s outlining his actual limitations and restrictions, which clearly make it impossible for him to perform his own occupation. After reviewing our appeal, CIGNA reversed its denial, paid our client his back pay, and recommenced monthly benefit payments.
Tamitha – Internship/Externship Coordinator – Wilmington, Delaware
Severe Asthma
An Internship/Externship Coordinator for a technical college in Delaware suffered from severe persistent asthma. Her Short Term Disability insurer, CIGNA, initially accepted her claim. One month later, they denied the claim. Their denial claimed that the medical information available did not provide clinical findings that would preclude her from working.
Not sure what she should do, she reached out to Fields Law. After completing his review of our client’s file from CIGNA, our attorneys developed a plan to fight the denial. We updated medical records and obtained a report from the client’s treating pulmonologist which stated that her asthma was rated at an AMA Class 4D, which is significant.
Our attorneys appealed the denial and CIGNA reversed their decision and reinstated the client’s benefits and paid all the past-due benefits. Our client was extremely relieved and grateful to have her sole source of income back.
