Short & Long Term Disability Cases We’ve Won for Our Clients in Virginia
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 and lawsuit case wins in Virgina.
Charles – Software Engineer – Leesburg, Virginia
Vestibular Migraines, Dizziness, Vertigo, Herniated Disc
A Software Engineer began to experience worsening migraines. He had dealt with migraines before, but these were bad enough to make work impossible. He could no longer drive and had intense bouts of vertigo. His condition forced him to stop working. Subsequent tests revealed several herniated discs in his back. His doctors were in regular contact with each other to coordinate his treatment, and he applied for Long Term Disability benefits, based on his medical records. His insurer denied the claim despite the medical evidence.
Frustrated and worried about supporting his family without income, he contacted Fields Law Firm to assist with an appeal. Our attorneys collected records from five physicians who had treated our client and created a timeline of treatment that New York Life could not ignore. We obtained new vocational reports showing that our client could not go back to work due to his symptoms. With the new reports, our attorneys made a strong case that New York Life’s initial decision was wrong. Our client won his appeal and was awarded back-pay and ongoing benefits. He was relieved to have the process complete and was happy with the result.
Kim – Service Account Manager – Goodview, Virginia
Failed Back Syndrome, Degenerative Disc Disease, Enthesopathy, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Lumbar Radiculitis, Migraines, PTSD, Major Depression, Major Anxiety, Morbid Obesity
A 47-year old woman who worked as a Service Account Manager went out of work due to Failed Back Syndrome, Degenerative Disc Disease, Enthesopathy, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Lumbar Radiculitis, Migraines, PTSD, Major Depression, Major Anxiety, and Morbid Obesity. The employer provided a Long Term Disability policy, which she had elected to receive coverage under. When she became eligible for Long Term Disability benefits from the policy’s carrier, she applied for coverage and benefits. She was initially approved for benefits and received monthly benefits for a little over two years.
However, the insurer terminated her Long Term Disability benefits, indicating no benefits were payable because they concluded she did not meet the definition of “Disabled”. The insurer felt she could work any sedentary occupation based on her education and previous employment. They based the decision to terminate benefits on a Physician Consultant’s review of the medical records on file, which did not include even half of her records.
Upset with the arbitrary decision to terminate benefits, she contacted Fields Law Firm to submit an appeal. The attorneys at Fields Law were able to pull together all of our client’s medical records, generate physician reports, obtain a vocational report, and submit a comprehensive appeal. Due to the appeal our attorneys had submitted, the insurance company issued a new decision and overturned its prior denial of Long Term Disability benefits. The insurer reinstated benefits and issued a backpay check for the months that it failed to pay our client.
Scott – Sales Route Driver – Roanoke, Virginia
Degenerative Disc Disorder with Radiculopathy, Spinal Stenosis, Spondylosis, Polyneuropathy, Hypertension, Chronic Neuropathy
A delivery driver in Roanoke, Virginia applied for and received Short Term Disability benefits from an insurance policy provided by his employer. However, when he was supposed to transition to Long Term Disability benefits, the insurance company denied him. The insurer claimed that he was capable of performing the essential duties of his own occupation and based its determination on the opinion of a doctor that had never met him.
He was very upset that the insurance company had ignored the opinions of his own doctors and cut-off his only source of income. He retained Fields Law Firm and our attorneys reached out to our client’s doctors, collected updated medical records, and drafted a winning appeal. The insurance company could not ignore the evidence submitted by the team at Fields Law and approved our client’s Long Term Disability benefits, sending him a large backpay check.
