Nurses Win 5th Class Action Settlement Over Unpaid Wages in New York

By John Curran

Recent lawsuits against many businesses regarding wage and hour violations have mounted in the United States. Many of these lawsuits concern unpaid overtime, as well as those where firms tried to deem employees independent contractors. In New York, nurses recently won a class action lawsuit settlement with Ellis Hospital in Troy for several million dollars regarding alleged wage fixing by hospitals in the area that cause them to be underpaid.

More... 1 comment

Court Orders Unum to Pay Policyholder's Legal Fees

By Jessica Tyner

Tanya Mondolo is the latest plaintiff to win her Unum lawsuit, claiming that she was unfairly denied her Unum disability claim. In addition to being granted her denied benefits and back pay, Mondolo was awarded $119,000 in January 2013 for her attorney fees. According to reports, the court found Unum’s actions “culpable” and found that the company acted irrationally when denying Mondolo her claim. She filed her Unum lawsuit under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

More... Add new comment

More Unum Insurance Complaints Flood In

By Jessica Tyner

Top Class Actions has been receiving throngs of complaints about Unum Insurance Company from people claiming that Unum irrationally declines valid disability claims -- leaving the policyholders stuck with insurmountable medical debt. The complaints mirror legal action taken against Unum, with dozens of Unum fraud lawsuits being filed each year. Judy from Portland, Oregon, is just one of the many recent Unum claim denial victims.

As a nurse for a mobile unit, Judy’s work takes her to a number of different medical clinics and settings. In 2004, she got a staph infection that wasn’t treatable by penicillin from a simple paper cut. Once the infection entered her bloodstream, it spread quickly and caused Judy to spend weeks in the hospital in so much pain that she could barely move. Her critical condition kept her out of work for a year as she went through rehabilitation in an effort to re-learn how to walk.    

More... Add new comment

Unum Accused of Denying Legitimate Disability Claims

By Robert J. Boumis

Unum is the largest disability insurance company in the world. Based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, this company handles roughly 40 percent of the disability claims in the United States. However, Unum has been accused of systemically denying valid claims against the people who trusted them for disability insurance.

Unum is a Major Player in the Insurance Market

Unum is a powerhouse in the insurance business and is a Fortune 500 company. It was formed by the merger of Unum of Portland, Maine and Provident Life and Accident Insurance Company of Chattanooga, Tennessee. When they first merged in 1998, they went by UnumProvident Corporation. In 2007, the company shortened its name to Unum as part of a re-branding effort. This insurance company provides a variety of insurance benefits, including life insurance, employee benefits, and disability insurance. Over 17 million Americans have disability insurance through Unum.

More... Add new comment

Federal Disability Insurance Claims Lead to Judges' Suit

By John Curran

There is a backlog of Social Security Disability Insurance claims that stretches back for months or, on average, more than one year, leading to judges acting as government claim denial specialists. However, the political football of ensuring that deserving applicants get benefits while reducing fraud has led to a union lawsuit on behalf of administrative law judges.

They represent the second line of opportunity for people to get disability insurance benefits, after state claim denial specialists reject the majority of initial claims. The administrative law judges, who may also handle the appeals of Unum disability insurance beneficiaries, have complained that they cannot adequately review claims. Last year, Judge Randall Frye told Congress that they can only spend two and a half hours per case, including 30-60 minutes for the hearing itself.

More... 1 comment

UnumProvident Claim Denials Put in Media Spotlight

By Courtney Coren

Unum is an insurance company that provides employee benefits to 17 million Americans -- including disability, life, accident and critical illness insurance -- as coverage during times of unexpected illness or injury that may require a prolonged absence from work. It’s the type of insurance that is there to provide peace of mind when the unexpected happens.

In 1999, Unum merged with Provident insurance company, and almost immediately, several lawsuits began to come out against the large insurance company. UnumProvident was then sued by several customers claiming they were unjustly denied disability payments that they should have received in 2002.

More... Add new comment