A federal court in Texas recently found in favor of a long-term disability (LTD) claimant whose insurer had terminated his benefits. The March 10 opinion illustrates federal rules for interpreting disability insurance policies. In Chavez v. Standard Insurance Co., the...
disability claims
Disability Insurance Law Group wins lawsuit and secures disability benefits for claimant suffering from cervical and lumbar pain after MetLife terminated benefits
Our client, Mrs. Y was covered under her employer-provided Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Insurance Policy, issued by Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (“MetLife”). Ultimately, Ms. Y became disabled from her occupation and any occupations due to cervical and...
Legal remedies for private disability insurance claim denials
People acquire disability insurance as a safety net to provide financial support should they become disabled from working. Short- and long-term disability insurance policies fall into two buckets. On one hand, group policies such as those available through employers...
Disability Insurance Law Group Presents a Live Video Presentation of the Disability Insurance Claims Process for the Lupus Foundation of America
Alicia Paulino-Grisham, one of the founding partners of Disability Insurance Law Group, is providing a live video presentation called Disability: Navigating the Maze, for the Lupus Foundation of America on April 14, 2020 at 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm. Ms. Paulino-Grisham...
Pro athletes may face disability insurance claim fights
At our law firm, we represent professional athletes in their claims for disability insurance. Pro athletes are of course at higher risk than most people of serious work injury because of the dangerous nature of high-level athletic performance on a regular basis....
Social-media surveillance of disability claimant’s activities
We recently posted information in this space about how disability insurers use surveillance to investigate the lifestyles of their disability claimants to try to uncover evidence that the claimants’ activities are inconsistent with the medical conditions...
Insurers use of drones in surveillance of disability claimants
When you are ill or injured to the point where you had to file a claim for disability benefits under your disability insurance policy, it can be disheartening to learn that during the initial review process or even while on claim that your insurance company put you...
Policy language limits disability insurer administrator’s power
A recent court opinion sheds light on the ramifications of disability insurance policy language that describes what powers the insurer's administrator has to decide claims. We recently posted a blog about the standards of review courts apply when considering an appeal...
What is a disability insurer’s structural conflict of interest?
A large insurance company that sells short- or long-term disability coverage can intimidate an individual fighting for their rightful benefits after having become disabled. When that insurer decides its own claims internally, rather than outsourcing that...
Court holds LTD claimant did not have a pre-existing condition
On Sept. 3, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit held that Aetna had wrongly denied long-term disability insurance coverage to a claimant with malignant melanoma. The opinion turns on a legal issue that comes up often in LTD cases — whether the claimant...