PROVEN LAWSUIT RESULTS

Overdraft Report Specialist - Muscatine, IA

Multiple Sclerosis

“An Overdraft Report Specialist progressively developed difficulty with cognition, weakness and maintaining balance while walking and standing. Initially, she assumed the symptoms would dissipate and go way, but when they didn’t, she saw her doctor who, after a battery of tests, eventually diagnosed multiple sclerosis. As the symptoms worsened, she was left with no choice but to file a claim for long-term disability with Unum who denied her application for benefits.

Frightened at the prospect of having no income to pay her bills, she hired Fields Disability who reached out to her medical providers for supporting medical records and reports documenting her multiple sclerosis and showed the condition was very debilitating. An appeal was presented to Unum, who reversed its decision, reinstating her much needed benefits.”

Machinist - Oskaloosa, IA

Chronic Chest Wall Pain, Chest Wall Myofascial, Costochondritis, Inflamed Cartilage on Sternum

“A 35-year old Machinist stopped working due to chronic chest wall pain. He was initially approved by the insurance carrier for short-term disability benefits, but when he applied for long-term disability benefits the insurance carrier denied his claim, indicating no benefits were to be payable because our client did not meet the policy’s Definition of Disabled. He tried to appeal this decision on his own, which the insurance carrier reviewed, but determined to uphold its previous denial of benefits. Allegedly the insurance carrier felt that the new information received within our client’s appeal did not change the insurance carrier’s opinion and they continued to deny benefits.

Upset by the insurers’ decision, he decided to contact the attorneys at Fields Disability. Once retained, the Fields attorney’s worked diligently in collecting all the most favorable records for our client and appealed the most recent adverse decision from the insurance carrier. Unfortunately, the insurance carrier decided to again deny our client’s appeal. With no more administrative appeals available, our attorneys moved forward to file a lawsuit in federal court against the insurance carrier. The parties elected to have a mediation, at which time the attorneys at Fields Disability made persuasive arguments and convinced the insurance company it was better suited to settle the case instead of litigating the case further. The client was elated and happy that a call was made to Fields Disability because he got the benefits he was entitled to from the very beginning.”

Painter - Manti, UT

Multi-level Degenerative Disc Disease, Multi-level Disc Herniations, Nerve Root Compression, Stenosis

“A painter from Utah had developed sever spinal degeneration over his long career. Just a decade from retirement, his chronic pain and immobility reached a point where he was unable to continue working. He applied for long-term disability benefits but was denied by the insurer. The insurance company claimed that his medical records did not support a severity of symptoms that would preclude him from returning to work as a painter.

Knowing he needed help, he retained Fields Disability to appeal the denial. The Fields team began gathering updated medical records from all of his providers. The Fields attorneys wrote to his physicians and were able to get one to write a supportive narrative and another to complete a functional capacity assessment. Fields submitted the appeal with five exhibits totaling over two hundred pages. Upon consideration of the appeal, the insurance company quickly overturned their prior denial, issued a check for back payments and reinstated our client’s ongoing future benefits.”

Technician - Manchester, KY

Anxiety, Cervical Spondylosis, Lumbar Spondylosis, Disc Herniation, AC Joint Arthropathy of Right Shoulder, Right Rotator Cuff Tendinitis, Impingement

“Our client was a technician that received long-term disability benefits due to disabling, chronic back and shoulder pain. Due to his injuries, our client ambulates with a cane and requires assistance for almost all activities of daily living. After two years of receiving benefits, the insurance carrier discontinued benefits, stating that our client could perform gainful employment in a sedentary position.

Given that our client needed help taking care of just himself, he worried about how he could make a living following this denial. He reached out to the Fields Disability team, who helped him work through multiple appeals. Our attorneys provided medical evidence that our client was unable to work for any gainful employment, but the insurance carrier would not reconsider. Without any luck on appeal, our attorneys continued to fight for the client and settled his case with a favorable lump sum payment.”

Nurse Consultant - Olmstead Township, OH

Gamma Herpes Viral Mononucleosis

“A nurse consultant who worked for a nursing association spread across the state of Ohio was forced to stop working after contracting a chronic form of gamma herpes viral mononucleosis, or the Epstein-Barr virus. The disease caused her to feel constant and severe fatigue in addition to her preexisting heart arrhythmia disorder. She filed a claim for short-term disability, and was approved to receive the benefits. She then applied for long-term disability benefits from the Lincoln Financial Group, but was denied. Lincoln claimed that the woman’s medical documentation did not support a finding of total disability, and that she should be able to return to her regular occupation.

The nurse from Ohio felt like she had run out of options. Luckily, she heard about Fields Disability, and we were able to take on her case and fight the insurance company. Our attorneys began working with her treating physicians, compiling key documentation that would support her claim for disability. We then crafted an expert appeal, arguing that Lincoln had failed build a proper foundation for denial, and had failed to provide necessary information required under federal law. Confronted with our airtight arguments, Lincoln soon returned a decision to grant our client’s long-term disability benefits.

Surprisingly, several months after overturning their own decision, Lincoln sent our client another letter claiming they were denying her long-term disability benefits again. The Fields team immediately began preparations to fight the insurer. We soon submitted an appeal of their decision, and once again Lincoln Financial reconsidered. Her benefits secured, our client was overjoyed with the result and was able to focus once again on her recovery.”