Short & Long Term Disability Cases We’ve Won for Our Clients Against New York Life
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 New York Life.
Ronald – Direct Sales Representative – Cincinnati, Ohio
Cervical and Lumbar Spinal Stenosis, Multiple Cervical and Lumbar Spinal Surgeries
A Sales Representative for a cable provider became totally disabled due to chronic back pain, caused by bulging and herniated discs in his lumbar and cervical spines. After 24 months of paying benefits, his insurance company terminated his benefits because the policy’s definition of disability changed from whether one was disabled from performing his Own Occupation to disabled from performing the material duties of Any Occupation, claiming that he could perform sedentary work and specifically alleged he had transferable skills to perform the occupations of Dispatcher and Service Clerk. Confused by this logic, he approached Fields Law for help with less than 30 days remaining to submit an appeal. Our attorneys immediately reached out to New York Life to request a 45-day extension to submit his appeal, which was granted.
Based on our experience, we knew that New York Life had not performed a significant vocational analysis and had failed to appreciate how our client’s chronic pain and limited range of motion impaired him performing even sedentary work on a competitive basis. We sent our client’s file to a vocational expert who conducted a national and regional job outlook study and determined that the positions of Dispatcher and Service Clerk were not appropriate occupations for our client based on his age, education, work history, and experience. The Fields Law team quickly gathered the necessary evidence and drafted a strong appeal for our client. New York Life reversed its denial decision, issued the back-pay benefits our client was owed and resumed paying his monthly benefits.
Joseph – Grocery Store Manager – Brick, New Jersey
Memory Loss, Weakness, Joint Pain
A newly hired manager at ALDI suddenly began experiencing memory loss, weakness, and pain in various parts of his body. He continued to work until the symptoms became unbearable, forcing him to see his doctor. Oddly, the doctors’ performed tests which came back negative. He applied for disability with his insurer, who denied him claiming that he was capable of meeting the physical demands of a grocery store manager.
He retained Fields Law and our team assembled a strong case for him. We reached out to his medical providers and the insurance adjuster assigned to the case. We obtained medical support from the doctors and filed an appeal, arguing that New York Life violated federal law by improperly ignoring specific chart notations and opinions in the medical record. These facts supported showed that our client was disabled and unable to perform the labor of a grocery store manager or any occupation. Shortly thereafter, New York Life reversed it denial and granted our client disability benefits.
Virgina – Customer Service Clerk – Perth Amboy, New Jersey
Herniations at Lumbar, Thoracic, and Cervical Spine, Radiculopathy of Arms and Legs
A Customer Service Clerk in New Jersey developed multiple herniations to her Lumbar, Thoracic, and Cervical spine. These disc herniations caused shooting pain and numbness down one of her shoulders, into the arm, and down her back, into her legs. Her treating doctor advised she stop working, so she applied for Long Term Disability through her employer’s plan. New York Life denied the claim after its in-house doctors reviewed her medical records. They told her that their doctors had determined her conditions were not severe enough to support limitations and restrictions, so from their point of view she could work full time.
Fields Law successfully argued that New York Life’s doctors selectively cited and ignored critical information from the medical records, and that our client’s treating physician was in the best position to assess her conditions. Consequently, New York Life overturned its decision, paid our client her back pay, and commenced monthly benefit payments.
