Short & Long Term Disability Cases We’ve Won for Our Clients in Minnesota

A packager in a factory worked for many years until she became disabled due to chronic back pain. Initially, the insurance company began paying her Long Term Disability benefits. However, Liberty Mutual later denied her benefits after 32 months, alleging that her medical records did not continue to support severe and incapacitating symptoms that would warrant work in any capacity beyond that date.

Frustrated and confused because she knew she could not return to work in her condition, she called Fields Law Firm for help in appealing the insurance company’s discontinuation of her benefits. The Fields Law team prepared a strong appeal letter for our client, in which we exposed the fact that Liberty Mutual had applied the wrong standard of disability in discontinuing her benefits. Our client’s policy provided for payment of disability based on an inability to perform the duties of her “own occupation” for 36 months. At the time of its discontinuation, our client did not need to prove she was unable to work “in any capacity” in order to remain eligible for benefits.

The appeal prepared by Fields Law showed that Liberty Mutual had breached its fiduciary duty to our client by misusing video surveillance. The appeal also highlighted why the insurance company should not have ignored the Social Security Administration’s finding that our client is totally disabled from any job in the national economy. In the end, Fields Law was successful in appealing Liberty Mutual’s decision and our client’s benefits were reinstated.

An insurance company took away benefits from a disabled custodian who worked at public school. The man suffered from bilateral knee problems because he injured both of his knees when he fell on ice. The insurance company argued that the custodian was able to perform a sedentary or light job, and therefore, was not entitled to benefits. Madison National based its decision on results of a functional capacity evaluation that was never even conducted.

The former custodian retained Fields Law Firm to represent him in appealing the erroneous decision. Our team prepared an appeal by gathering evidence to show that our client is precluded from performing the substantial and material duties of any job. This meant obtaining support from his doctors and a vocational expert. We were successful in our appeal and our client was awarded his benefits. He was relieved knowing that he had financial security despite his inability to work.

A woman who worked for many years as a personnel officer for the state of Minnesota was unable to continue to work due to a number of serious and debilitating mental health conditions including anxiety, depression, panic attacks, bipolar 1 disorder, and ADHD. The insurance company accepted her claim and paid her Long Term Disability benefits for two years under the own occupation definition of disability.

After two years, The Hartford discontinnued benefits under the any occupation definition of disability. Despite the claimant’s continuing impairments and limitations, The Hartford discontinued her benefits based on an Independent Review Report prepared by a doctor who reviewed her medical records.

Confused and distraught about The Hartford’s action, she called Fields Law Firm for help. Our team immediately began working on an appeal to fight The Hartford’s discontinuation of benefits. We argued they had ignored important parts of our client’s records, which showed that her condition had not improved and that she continued to suffer from limitations that make her disabled from any occupation. The appeal was a success, and The Hartford reinstated our client’s Long Term Disability benefits. Our client was put at ease, knowing that she would have financial security despite her disabling mental health conditions.