Short & Long Term Disability Cases We’ve Won for Our Clients Against MetLife
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 MetLife.
Tino – Manager Marine Operations – Kaneohe, Hawaii
Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, Alcohol Use Disorder
A marine operations manager from Hawaii suffered from schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and alcohol use disorder. He received Long Term Disability through MetLife Disability Insurance benefits due to being unable to do his job duties. After two years, the insurer terminated the benefits. He learned this was because they would not cover his conditions for more than 24 months. Feeling that this was wrong, he went to Fields Law Firm for help.
Once retained, the attorneys at Fields Disability acquired our client’s Long Term Disability policy and realized schizophrenia was not a mental health condition that was limited to 24-months of Long Term Disability benefits. Our team acquired medical records, functional capacity evaluations, and reports from our client’s treating doctors that showed our client had a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Once equipped with everything they needed, the attorneys at Fields Disability submitted an appeal. Faced with this new evidence, the insurer overturned their prior decision. MetLife issued payment for all the months it previously withheld Long Term Disability benefits and continued to pay benefits going forward.
Jucena – Senior Bankruptcy Analyst II – Lilburn, Georgia
Intractable Chronic Migraines, Photophobia, Cognitive Deficits, PTSD, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Ulnar Entrapment, Major Depression, Symptoms of a Mini-Stroke
At age 12, a girl from Georgia fell and hit her head on a sharp object. She suffered a piercing wound to her brain but appeared to recover. Later in life, she was involved in a motor vehicle accident where she suffered another head wound. She soon began suffering from intractable migraines, photophobia, cognitive dysfunction, and other physical symptoms. Knowing she could not return to work, she applied for Long Term Disability benefits and was approved. She remained on benefits for some time, until she received a benefits termination letter from the insurer. Metlife claimed her medical records did not support functional limitations which would prevent her from returning to an alternate occupation.
She wanted to appeal Metlife’s decision but didn’t know how. She looked up the top disability experts in the nation and found Fields Law Firm. Our legal team began working on her appeal right away. We gathered updated medical records and got an excellent letter of support from her treating provider. We submitted the appeal, and Metlife was forced to respond to each of the carefully crafted arguments our attorneys wrote in the appeal. Knowing they couldn’t defeat our well-reasoned positions, the insurer soon issued a reversal of their prior decision, and reinstated our client’s benefits. Our client even got a check in the mail for the back benefits she was owed during their period the insurer had tried to deny her benefits.
Kathryn – IT Analyst – Savannah, Georgia
Back Pain, Spinal Cord Compression, Bulging Discs, Anxiety
An IT Analyst from Georgia had severe back pain which exacerbated her anxiety. Her job added to her daily stress and ultimately her combination of symptoms forced her to stop working. She battled with her insurance company for Short Term Disability benefits before they paid her, and then was denied in her application for Long Term benefits, despite recommendations from doctors saying she could not work.
She called Fields Law for help. The Fields Law team contacted our client’s treating doctors for medical records and handled all correspondence with Metlife. Our attorneys discovered that Metlife ignored key records when denying benefits. We sent a strong appeal to Metlife pointing out their errors and the insurer overturned their denial. Our client received a lump-sum for back-pay and ongoing monthly benefits. She was pleased with the professional representation Fields Law provided, and happy to be done fighting Metlife.
