Unum Disability Insurance Claims Attorneys

Unum Group is a Chattanooga, Tennessee-based insurance company created by the 1999 merger of Unum Corporation and The Provident Companies. The Paul Revere Life Insurance Company and Provident Life and Accident Insurance Company are both Unum underwriting insurers.

According to Unum, the company protects 36 million people worldwide, and 193,000 businesses in the United States and the United Kingdom offer benefits provided by Unum. The company claims it pays $7 billion in benefits every year.

Are you or your loved one attempting to file a long term disability claim with Unum? Was your claim wrongly denied by the insurer, or did they terminate your benefits prematurely? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you should hire an experienced disability lawyer to represent you right away and help you get the benefits you need and deserve.

Capitan Law helps people, not insurance companies, and we will fight to make sure you receive all of the benefits you are entitled to. Call (267) 419-7888 or contact us online to take advantage of a free consultation.

Do I Need A Unum Long Term Disability Insurance Claims Lawyer?

Unum is an insurance company, which means that it is usually going to be working against you to limit what it has to pay. You should not mistake a representative’s friendliness as Unum being on your side.

You are going to want to have an attorney review your initial application. A lawyer can identify the common mistakes that lead to delays or denials and make sure that your application is complete with as much information as needed to render a decision.

An attorney will also be able to identify when Unum has not correctly handled your claim. The lawyer will be able to determine the next best steps to take when Unum commits an error in the administration of your application.

Unum has frequently delayed paying claims by claiming that they are managing the applications, and an attorney can make sure that you are not subject to unnecessary delays in the handling of your claim. A lawyer is going to know how to react to every single hurdle that Unum attempts to put in your way of receiving benefits.

Why Choose Capitan Law To Help Me With My Disability Claim?

Our online testimonials demonstrate our track record of success. One client of Joe Capitan wrote, “ … His work ethic , knowledge of the law is unparalleled. I was never in the dark about anything, he was always honest and forthright which led to very successful outcomes in my cases. I highly recommend this Attorney.”

Another client had this to say about Capitan after a successful outcome in a complex long-term disability case: “I contacted Mr. Joseph Capitan to discuss my LTD claim after my insurance company had denied my original claim. My situation required a seasoned attorney to help me with my difficult LTD case. After many months my LTD claim was reinstated. He followed my case closely and kept me informed all thru the process. He is hard working and a dedicated attorney and uses his strong expertise and professionalism to gain the desired result. His honesty with me all during this process was greatly appreciated.”

Joe Capitan is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, Philadelphia Bar Association, and Pennsylvania Association for Justice. Super Lawyers named him a Pennsylvania Rising Star in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017. He handles long-term and short-term disability cases. He is licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania state courts as well as the Eastern District and Middle District for Pennsylvania under the federal court system. Capitan comes from a blue-collar background, and he takes pride in fighting for the best interest of his clients. Before founding Capitan Law in 2017, Capitan began a disability insurance practice at a well-known plaintiff’s law firm in Philadelphia.

Our firm has Pennsylvania offices in Chadds Ford, Philadelphia, and Newtown Square as well as Louisville, Kentucky. We will work towards a settlement that covers all of your needs and can take your case to court when it is necessary to recover just compensation.

Unum In the News

On November 14, 2002, “60 Minutes” reported that Unum (then known as UnumProvident) provided 17 million Americans with disability insurance privately or through their employers and was the largest disability insurance company with 22 percent of America’s largest corporations using it. Diane McGinnis worked at UnumProvident as a claims handler at the company’s headquarters in Chattanooga and claimed that the company told its workers they had to shut down enough claims to meet monthly targets in the millions of dollars.

“I don’t think it was about whether they deserved to be closed,” McGinnis said. “They had to be closed. They needed to make these projections.”

McGinnis said there were many times that Unum shut down claims they knew were legitimate. Dr. Fergal McSharry worked for UnumProvident almost two years as an in-house physician reviewing disability claims and told “60 Minutes” that Unum pressured him and other doctors to go along with the decisions of claims handlers to terminate claims. “The decision was nearly always made, and we were not to upset the apple cart and give this opinion which is contrary to everybody else’s,” McSharry said.

In October 2005, the Los Angeles Times reported that California insurance regulators announced that they would be fining Unum $8 million, requiring the company to reopen up to 26,000 California cases, and demanding that Unum alter the policies it sells in the state to include greater consumer protections. The action came as a settlement with Unum and the regulators said they intended to impose similar policy changes on all firms licensed to sell disability insurance in California.

Unum Long Term Disability Claims We Handle

The most common reasons for long-term disability insurance, according to Unum, are cancer, back disorders (excluding injury), injuries, cardiovascular disorders, and joint disorders. Long-term disability benefits can be monthly payments of up to 60 percent of a person’s ordinary income.

Unum also offers individual disability insurance that pays a higher percentage of your pre-disability earnings. Long-term and individual disability insurance provide benefits until retirement age. Long-term disability insurance is often portable, and individual disability insurance is fully portable.

One of the most common reasons Unum denies disability claims is because a person’s injury or illness does not satisfy the company’s definition of a disability. Unum may also deny an application and allege that you misrepresented information in your application, your injury was self-inflicted, or perhaps most commonly, that your disability was a preexisting condition.

Some Unum plans may be regulated by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), which requires an ERISA appeal before litigation can be initiated against Unum. You will want to be sure that you have an attorney any time that you are facing possible ERISA issues.

Another reason to have a lawyer is if Unum makes any unusual requests of you. You may be presented with several forms to be completed by your doctor that are designed to minimize the effects of your disability.

Unum could refer you to one of their selected doctors, like the aforementioned Dr. McSharry, for an independent medical examination (IME). You will want to have legal representation before agreeing to any IME, as these visits are routinely used by Unum to try and get a medical opinion that justifies denying your claim.

When Unum denies your claim, the notification is typically mailed to you. The letter should not only provide the reasons for the denial, but it should also include the date that an appeal would have to be filed by.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Unum claims that it will make an initial decision on your disability claim within five business days of a complete application that includes a completed Employee Statement form, a completed Employer Statement form, a completed Attending Physician Statement form, and a signed medical authorization form. Unum notes that every claim is unique and many claims are delayed by requests for additional medical information needed to decide on a disability request.

Many disability plans allow for recurrent disability, and you will not have to satisfy another elimination period if you become disabled again because of the same condition within the number of days specified in the Recurrent Provision of your policy. If you are disabled by the same condition in a number of days after the Recurrent Provision or are disabled by a new condition, you will have to file a new claim and deal with a new elimination period.

Exclusions vary by policy, but general Unum exclusions include disabilities caused by intentionally self-inflicted injuries, active participation in a riot, loss of professional or occupational license or certificate, or commission of a crime for which the individual has been convicted.

For short-term disability claims, exclusions include occupational sickness or injury (although Unum may cover disabilities due to occupational illnesses or injuries for partners or sole proprietors who cannot be covered by Workers’ Compensation plans), pre-existing conditions, war, declared or undeclared, or any act of war, and any period of disability during which an employee is incarcerated.

Contact an Unum Long Term Disability Insurance Claims Attorney Today

If you or your loved one need help with an Unum long term disability insurance claim, know that qualified legal assistance is available to you. Our skilled disability attorneys will do everything in our power to help you get the full and fair benefits you’re owed according to your policy.

Capitan Law customizes each appeal and claim strategy according to a client’s specific situation. We can examine your case as soon as you call (267) 419-7888 or contact us online to set up a free consultation.