How To Prove Your Disability Insurance Company Acted in Bad Faith
At Marc Whitehead & Associates, we’ve helped many clients prove bad faith after their claims are rejected by disability insurance companies. A business, home, auto, or individual disability insurance policy is a contract between a policyholder and an insurance company. With this contract comes an "implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing" between the two parties signing the contract. What this means is that both sides agree to treat each other with honesty, fairness and respect and not deny the right of the other party to receive the benefits agreed to in the contract. However, when an insurance company: Denies paying benefits …
Are Demands Beyond Your Policy Grounds for a Bad Faith Claim?
Has the insurance company made undue demands for proof of disability that reach beyond the requirements your disability insurance policy? This is a common insurance denial tactic that preys on the threat of denial if the claimant does not submit to the insurer’s demands. The disabled claimant is made to believe that if they do not comply, the insurer is right to deny the claim or discontinue benefits. Examples of Disability Insurance Carriers Making Demands beyond Your Policy Unreasonable Proof of Claim Your insurance policy will have a proof of claim or proof of loss provision, where you need to supply information about your disability. The requirements vary from policy …
How to Sue an Insurance Company for Bad Faith
A disability insurance policy is a contract between the insurance company and the policyholder. The policyholder makes monthly payments to the insurance company; in exchange, the insurance company agrees to provide them with a source of income should they become too disabled to work. In the U.S., when two parties enter into a contract like a disability insurance policy, they are required by law to act in good faith and deal with each other fairly. An insurance company acts in bad faith when it reneges on its contractual obligations and unfairly denies, delays or terminates a policyholder's disability claim. Examples of Insurance …
Bad Faith Insurance Laws in Disability Claims
Bad faith insurance laws protect the public from unfair or fraudulent practices by insurance companies. These are state laws, and each state’s definition of bad faith and associated regulations varies. With regards to disability benefits, bad faith law generally applies only to individual disability insurance policies that you personally buy through an insurance company agent or rep. [Link to article: Individual vs. Group Disability Claims] Policies are usually underwritten for each individual as an own occupation policy, along with various disability insurance riders for additional, specific coverage. [Link to article: Disability Insurance Riders] In a profit-driven disability insurance industry, bad faith insurance laws …
Lawyer Representing Illinois Mutual Disability Claim Denials
If you filed an Illinois Mutual disability claim and the company denied benefits, it is important to seek legal counsel without delay. All insurance companies may deny claims for various reasons; some deny claims unfairly. Illinois Mutual is headquartered in Peoria, IL. The company provides disability income insurance, worksite or group disability insurance and life insurance. It has been servicing customers for over 100 years, and markets its disability insurance products to most of the U.S. If you feel your claim was wrongly denied by this insurer, contact our law firm. Whether due to an adjuster’s error or a wrongful denial of …
What Are Disability Insurance Riders? Are they Part of a Denied Claim?
Disability insurance riders are additional coverage you buy to add to your privately-purchased base policy. Riders can affect your ability to collect full benefits if you become disabled. Even so, insurance companies may still deny a valid claim no matter what coverage you have paid for under the policy. There’s no guarantee that, because you have added a rider to your LTD policy, your claim will result in the award of benefits associated with that rider. Disability policies are inherently complicated. In fact, sometimes by adding further benefits and exclusions through riders, the policy becomes even more baffling. Your private insurance policy is …
Aetna LTD Denial is reversed by Marc Whitehead & Associates for Client with Thoracic Lumbar Radiculopathy
Marc Whitehead & Associates recently represented a 48-year-old woman from Savannah, Georgia, after the Aetna Life Insurance Company denied her claim for long term disability (LTD) benefits. We successfully handled her appeal and obtained for our client the benefit payments she was entitled to. Our client suffered from numerous physical and mental disorders, including thoracic lumbar radiculopathy, fractured ribs, sleep apnea, depression and anxiety. She was forced to manage her severe ongoing pain with nerve blocks, physical therapy, and heavy medication. Her condition left her unable to sit for prolonged periods of time and made it difficult to concentrate. The difficulties …
Disability Insurance Denials – The Administrative Appeal
The Disability Insurance Denial Letter. After a long term disability insurance claim is filed, the insurance carrier will either grant the claim or deny the claim. If the claim is granted, the insurance company will begin to pay monthly benefits. If the claim is denied, the claimant will receive a “denial letter.” This letter is very important because it will list what evidence the insurance company reviewed when making its decision, who reviewed the evidence, for example, an in house Nurse Case Manager, a doctor hired as a consultant or only non-medical reviewers such as a Senior Claims Adjuster. Most …