Short & Long Term Disability Cases We’ve Won for Our Clients Against UNUM
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 UNUM.
Barbara – Senior Project Designer – Stoneham, Massachusetts
Cellulitis, Recurrent Leg Infection, Panic Attacks
A Senior Project Designer from Massachusetts suffered a broken leg from a skiing accident. The doctors put pins into her leg. Eventually, the pins caused an infection and needed to be replaced. The leg infection did not go away, and the Project Designer was forced to stop working. She was approved for Long Term Disability benefits. After four years, Unum suddenly stopped paying benefits, saying that they did not receive the correct paperwork.
Frightened by her sudden loss of income, she called Fields Law for help. Our attorneys immediately requested our client’s file from Unum. They also called our client’s doctors to obtain updated medical reports. The Fields Law attorneys used medical records and legal research to build a strong appeal. Unum overturned their denial and reinstated benefits to our client. Our client was pleased to be done fighting Unum, and is happy to move forward with her life.
Mary – Administrative Coordinator – Rolla, Kansas
Multiple Sclerosis, Short Term Memory Loss, Cognitive Issues
An Administrative Coordinator worked for many years before being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. She fought the disease for several more years, before she began noticing other symptoms which included short term memory loss and cognitive dysfunction. Being forced out of work due to the symptoms of her MS, she applied for Long Term Disability benefits. Unfortunately, she was denied by Unum. She hired Fields Law to appeal the insurer’s denial of her benefit application.
The Fields Law team began gathering information to support her case, including updated medical records, a narrative report from her treating neurologist, letters of support from her primary care physician, and a vocational evaluation by a third-party expert. Confronted by a significant amount of supportive documentation, Unum quickly overturned their denial of our client’s benefits. Our client soon received a check in the mail for the backpay she was owed, and her ongoing benefits were subsequently reinstated.
Kellie – Licensed Practical Nurce – Pendleton, Indiana
COPD, Pneumonia, Fibromyalgia, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Immunodeficiency, Depression, Anxiety
A nurse from Indiana was forced to stop working due to a variety of medical conditions including COPD, pneumonia, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, depression and anxiety. She applied for Long Term Disability benefits and her claim was accepted and her insurer began paying benefits. For the first two years of benefits, she only had to show Unum that she was not capable of working in her job as a nurse. After the first two years of benefits, she had to show that she was not capable of returning to any gainful occupation. Unum used this change in the definition of disability as an opportunity to deny her ongoing benefits.
When Unum discontinued her benefits, they cited a listed of jobs that they felt she could perform. She knew she did not have the physical capacity to perform any of the jobs. Moreover, she lacked the necessary education, experience, and skills.
She turned to Fields Law Firm for help and our attorneys took a weight off our client’s shoulders by handling the entire appeal process. We worked with our client’s doctors to refute assertions that she could return to work in various jobs. We gathered medical records and drafted legal arguments in support of our client’s claim for benefits. After reviewing the information that Fields Law submitted in support of her appeal, Unum was forced to overturn their denial of benefits, paid her back pay and reinstate her disability benefits.
