Short & Long Term Disability Cases We’ve Won for Our Clients Against Lincoln Financial
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 Lincoln Financial.
Frederick – Warehouse Worker – Beaverton, Oregon
Stroke Symptoms
A Warehouse Worker form Oregon suffered a stroke that paralyzed his left arm and right leg, forcing him to use a cane for ambulation. The stroke also caused cognitive deficits and wreaked havoc with his memory. Unable to work in a warehouse environment any longer, he applied for Long Term Disability benefits through his insurance carrier. The insurer initially approved his claim on application. However, after only two years they terminated his benefits claiming he did not have enough medical support to prove a sufficient level of functional impairment.
Frusterated, he sought out help to appeal Lincoln Financial’s denial decision. He did an online research of the best disability firms and found Fields Law Firm. He contacted us and immediately received a call from one of our attorneys. After signing on with the firm, our team of disability attorneys began gathering updated medical records from all of his providers, a letter of support from his primary care physician, and acquiring the results of a functional capacity evaluation he underwent.
Our attorneys crafted a lengthy appeal dissecting and countering Lincoln Financial’s denial letter arguments, and submitted the entire stack of documentation to the insurer. Lincoln Financial was unable to refute the evidence and arguments presented in our appeal, and soon reversed their prior denial. Our client soon got a check for his back benefits, and Lincoln Financial reinstated his benefits forward.
Heather – Nurse Consultant – Olmstead Township, Ohio
Gamma Herpes Viral Mononucleosis
A nurse consultant who worked for a nursing association spread across the state of Ohio was forced to stop working after contracting a chronic form of gamma herpes viral mononucleosis, or the Epstein-Barr virus. The disease caused her to feel constant and severe fatigue in addition to her preexisting heart arrhythmia disorder. She filed a claim for Short Term Disability, and was approved to receive the benefits. She then applied for Long Term Disability benefits but was denied. Lincoln Financial claimed that the medical documentation did not support a finding of total disability, and that she should be able to return to her regular occupation.
Feeling like she had run out of options, she reached out to Fields Law to take on her case and fight Lincoln Financial. Our attorneys began working with her treating physicians, compiling key documentation that would support her claim for disability. We then crafted an expert appeal, arguing that the insurer had failed to build a proper foundation for denial, and had failed to provide necessary information required under federal law. Confronted with our airtight arguments, Lincoln Financial soon returned a decision to grant our client’s Long Term Disability benefits.
Surprisingly, several months after overturning their own decision, Lincoln Financial sent our client another letter claiming they were denying her Long Term Disability benefits again. The Fields Law team immediately began preparations to fight the insurer. We soon submitted an appeal of their decision, and once again Lincoln Financial reconsidered. Her benefits secured, our client was overjoyed with the result and was able to focus once again on her recovery.
Yinzi – Bio Chemist – Ardsley, New York
Congestive Heart Failure, Complications from Heart Transplant, Shortness of Breath
A bio-chemist from New York began having shortness of breath and heart palpitations. Her doctors diagnosed her with congestive heart failure and put her on a transplant list for a new heart. She stopped working and received Long Term Disability benefits through her employer. The surgery was successful, but her symptoms continued. After seven years of receiving benefits, her insurance company stopped paying because she didn’t fit their definition of disabled.
Worried about her lost income, she called Fields Law for help. Our team reviewed all our client’s records and called two physicians for narrative reports to illustrate her condition more clearly to Lincion Financial. Both doctors said that she could not work in any capacity due to exertion-based shortness of breath. The Fields Law attorneys submitted the new reports with a strong appeal to Lincoln Financial, and the decision was overturned. Our client received a lump-sum check for back-pay and ongoing benefits. She is pleased with her restored income, and happy to have Fields Law working for her.
