Disabled Woman Seeks Back Benefits in Unum Insurance Lawsuit

Lisa Russ of Indiana has filed a Unum disability insurance lawsuit, alleging that claim denial specialists at the long-term insurance provider unexpectedly terminated the monthly benefits she was owed.

Russ claims in the Unum lawsuit, filed July 15, that she originally filed an administrative appeal to her Unum benefit reversal as required under her plan’s ERISA requirements to prove that she had “numerous physical impairments” that left her unable to work for former employer Pearson Inc. as a shared services senior customer service representative.

Unum, however, “wrongfully refused to award [Russ] continuing disability benefits and wrongfully withheld monies rightfully due [to her] as a disabled insured participant under her policy and the Plan,” her Unum lawsuit states. Unum’s decision to deny her disability benefits was “arbitrary and capricious,” the lawsuit continues.

This is not the first time Unum has been accused of suddenly and without reason terminating policyholders’ long-term disability benefits. Others who have been denied monthly benefits say that the administrative decision responses failed to incorporate information that would allow people like Lisa Russ to improve their appeals under ERISA requirements.

Some also allege that the company failed to act in a timely fashion, or did not properly consider the medical information and diagnoses that support their claims. Lawsuits filed with the help of Unum claim denial attorneys often represent the final opportunity for policyholders to obtain any sort of legal redress based on the information provided.

In addition to not following the guidelines required by law, Unum lawsuits also allege that there is a conflict of interest with Unum Life Insurance and other providers because they have a fiduciary responsibility to policyholders but also a business responsibility to maximize profits that are improved by denying claims to beneficiaries. It can be difficult for plaintiffs because, unlike other civil cases, these result in an administrative hearing where a judge has the final say.

The Unum Disability Insurance Lawsuitis Lisa Russ v. Pearson Inc. Welfare Benefit Plan and Unum Life Insurance Company of America, Case No. 13-cv-1129, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana.

Get the Benefits You Deserve

Men and women who feel that they have been wrongfully denied Unum benefits may be able to follow the same path as Russ. Learn more and get a free legal consultation with a Unum disability insurance attorney to find out what steps you can take. One is available to those who fill out the short form at the Unum/UnumProvident Disability Insurance Claim Denial Class Action Lawsuit Investigation .