PROVEN LAWSUIT RESULTS

Truck Driver - East St. Louis, IL

Heart Issues

“A man had previously worked as a Tractor Trailer Driver. He suffered from a history of heart disease. He eventually was forced to undergo a coronary bypass. Unfortunately, the surgery was complicated by severe sternal wound infections and required repeated hospitalizations. Because of these conditions, he remained unable work. His disability insurer initially accepted and paid the claim, however they later denied the claim.

After exhausting all potential appeals, frustrated and unable to work, he reached out to the attorneys at Fields Disability. His attorney immediately filed a lawsuit in federal court. He was then able to negotiate a settlement with the insurer that maximized the value to the client while at the same time mitigating the significant risk of moving forward with litigation.”

Retail Store Manager - Haysville, KS

Back Pain, Knee Pain, Hip Pain

“A retail store manager from Kansas began having serious back pain and knee pain. MRIs showed bulging discs in her back and that she needed knee surgery. She was forced to stop working due to the surgery and did not recover enough to return to work as a store manager. She received long term disability benefits from her employee insurance plan for a few months, but the insurer stopped payments because she apparently had not supplied enough evidence of her disability. She submitted an appeal, but the insurer upheld their decision to stop paying.

Worried for her lost income and still unable to work, she called Fields Disability for help. Our attorneys reviewed her claim file and determined she had a good claim. Our client wanted to keep her costs low, so our team pursued a quick resolution without incurring a court filing fee. Ultimately, our attorneys negotiated a generous lump-sum settlement before a lawsuit needed to be filed. Our client was pleased with the result and is happy to use her settlement check to continue her treatment.”

Dispatcher - Waipahu, HI

Chronic Pain Disorder, Cervical Myelopathy, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Spinal Stenosis with Myopathy, Failed Back Surgery, Back Pain, Major Depression, Severe Anxiety, Insomnia

“Our client had worked as a Dispatcher at Disney World Services before becoming disabled and unable to work in 2017. Our client was approved for and received short-term disability benefits, which ran from his date of disability, through its exhaustion.

After the expiration of his short-term benefits, our client became eligible for long-term disability benefits from his policy’s carrier, Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Company. He applied for long-term disability benefits, but his application was denied by The Hartford. The Hartford denied our client’s long-term benefits because it determined he did not meet the Definition of Disability and the medical information it had did not support an inability to perform his Own Occupation.

Our client was removed from work on the advice of his treating providers, as his conditions were debilitating enough to prevent him from being able to perform the essential duties of his Own Occupation, as defined in The Hartford’s policy.

Upset at his sudden loss of income, he called Fields Disability for help appealing The Hartford’s decision. The attorneys at Fields Disability contacted our client’s doctors to compile reports of all of his symptoms and treatments. The attorneys pulled together and submitted a comprehensive appeal. After a short period of time, The Hartford decided to overturn its previous denial of benefits, and retroactively paid our client back all his long-term disability benefits immediately.”

Accounts Receivable Representative - Las Vegas, NV

Non-Union of Right Ulnar Shaft Fracture, CTS, Fractured Vertebrae, Cognitive Deficits, Mental Health Concerns

“A Nevada woman had worked as an Accounts Receivable Clerk for many years before she was involved in a serious car accident. She suffered numerous injuries in the accident including a compound fracture of her right ulna and a traumatic brain injury. She ended up undergoing four failed surgeries on her right forearm, and eventually underwent a fifth surgery which just barely managed to stabilize her condition.

However, she suffered from persistent pain and immobility in her right arm. She had also developed carpal tunnel syndrome, cognitive deficits, and a variety of mental health conditions after the accident and subsequent recovery. She applied for long-term disability benefits from her insurance carrier, but was denied upon application. In their denial letter, the insurer claimed that her conditions had improved to the point where she could return to work.

Knowing she needed help, and having just given birth to a baby son, the woman sought out help. She contacted Fields Disability, and quickly signed on our team of disability attorneys to appeal the insurer’s denial decision. We gathered extensive medical documentation of her recovery and functional capabilities, outlining the path of her recovery. In addition, we secured a functional capacity assessment from her physical therapist, a narrative report from her primary care physician, and a specialized vocational report from a third party expert.

The Fields team ended up submitting hundreds of pages of exhibits with our already lengthy appeal proving our client’s disabled status. The insurer was forced to review all of the documentation, and upon consideration overturn their prior denial of our client’s benefits. Back pay check in hand, the woman was able to fall back on her now reinstated benefits, focus on her recovery and care for her newborn son.”

Trucker - Leeds, AL

Syncopal Episodes

“Our client worked for a number of years as an over-the-road trucker. He began experiencing syncopal episodes. His doctors had no idea what was causing the episodes, but knew he simply could not continue driving his truck.

He received benefits from Guardian, his long-term disability insurance carrier, for several months. However, he received a denial about a year into the claim. The insurer claimed that the man had failed to submit ongoing proof of his disability.

The man found Fields Disability after searching for help online. We collected medical records and a letter from his doctor explaining the dangers of the man operating any vehicle. We submitted the medical records and letter to the insurance company along with a memorandum outlining our client’s legal rights under the statute governing the policy. After review, Guardian reversed its decision to deny benefits and started paying our client’s claim.”