Short & Long Term Disability Cases We’ve Won for Our Clients Against New York Life
Fields Law Firm successfully recovers millions of dollars each year for our disabled clients throughout the United States. Our Long Term Disability experience is matched by very few other law firms in the country and has earned us a national reputation.
Here are just a few examples of our Long Term Disability appeal case wins against New York Life.
Samantha – Registered Nurse – Hastings, Minnesota
Rare Pelvic Condition
A registered nurse was forced to leave her job at a hospital because she suffered from a rare pelvic condition that made her unable to work. Her Long Term Disability insurer denied her application for benefits, claiming that there were no “functional tests” in her file that supported her inability to work. She called Fields Law Firm to represent her in appealing the denial.
We were able to spot the errors that New York Life had made in reviewing her case. Given the rarity of her condition, the insurance company should have sent her to a doctor to be examined before it denied her. Our appeal highlighted this failure, along with the fact that New York Life never even talked to any of our client’s treating doctors and did not obtain all of her medical records. By reaching out to our client’s doctors and presenting the medical evidence, we prepared a successful appeal. The former nurse was happy to find out that the appeal was successful and New York Life reversed their denial. She received the benefits she deserved.
Jennifer – Store Manager – Lonsdale, Minnesota
Memory Loss, Anxiety, Depression
Due to significant cognitive and memory difficulties, as well as severe anxiety and depression, a store manager had to leave work. She applied for Long Term Disability benefits through her employer’s plan. At first, her claim was denied because the insurer could not “rule out” that her claim was barred by a pre-existing condition. After she was able to establish her conditions were not pre-existing, New York Life once again denied her claim for benefits based upon a medical record review that asserted her doctors failed to support their opinions with objective evidence.
The Long Term Disability lawyers at Fields Law were able to successfully argue that her doctors had provided objective testing evidence to establish her disability. Moreover, our team successfully secured narrative letters from multiple providers and persuasively argued that she satisfied the definition of disabled under the policy, and that New York Life misstated and ignored vital evidence. After reviewing our appeal, the Long Term Disability insurance company reversed its denial, paid over a year’s worth of back benefits, and began paying regular monthly disability benefits.
Lue – Mechanic – Roseville, Minnesota
Knee Pain, Osteoarthritis
A Maintenance Mechanic from Minnesota experienced pain in both knees, and had to use a cane or crutches to walk. His doctor diagnosed him with osteoarthritis and prescribed strong pain medication to ease his symptoms. Ultimately, his condition was too severe and he was forced to stop working. His insurance provider approved his claim for Long Term Disability benefits. Suddenly, after receiving benefits for over a year, New York Life wrote the mechanic a letter saying they would stop paying benefits because he did not meet their definition of disabled.
Upset over his loss of income, he contacted Fields Law Firm for assistance with an appeal. The attorneys at Fields Law contacted our client’s doctors and obtained updated medical reports. They submitted an appeal to New York Life with the updated medical records attached to strengthen their arguments. Ultimately, New York Life reinstated benefits for our client, and he also received a lump-sum payment for back-pay.
