Short & Long Term Disability Cases We’ve Won for Our Clients Against The Hartford
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 The Hartford.
Scott – Sales Route Driver – Roanoke, Virginia
Degenerative Disc Disorder with Radiculopathy, Spinal Stenosis, Spondylosis, Polyneuropathy, Hypertension, Chronic Neuropathy
A delivery driver in Roanoke, Virginia applied for and received Short Term Disability benefits from an insurance policy provided by his employer. However, when he was supposed to transition to Long Term Disability benefits, the insurance company denied him. The insurer claimed that he was capable of performing the essential duties of his own occupation and based its determination on the opinion of a doctor that had never met him.
He was very upset that the insurance company had ignored the opinions of his own doctors and cut-off his only source of income. He retained Fields Law Firm and our attorneys reached out to our client’s doctors, collected updated medical records, and drafted a winning appeal. The insurance company could not ignore the evidence submitted by the team at Fields Law and approved our client’s Long Term Disability benefits, sending him a large backpay check.
Michael – Director of Engineering – Virginia Beach, Virginia
Lupus, Depression, Anxiety
A director of engineering at a major hospital in Virginia found himself unable to keep up with his extremely complicated job. His treating doctor recommended that he work no more than 40 hours per week, as he would routinely work 60 hour weeks to fulfill all of his duties. He took time off from work and applied for Long Term disability benefits in order to recuperate. The Hartford denied his claim for benefits stating he could perform his job duties in a 40 hours work week.
Not knowing what he was supposed to do, he hired Fields Law Firm. His attorney hired a vocational consultant to argue the man could not perform his duties in a 40 hour work week. After reviewing updated medical records and the report from the vocational consultant, The Hartford paid our client his benefits. He was so impressed with the result of the appeal that he hired Fields Law to represent him on an ongoing basis.
Scott – Chef – Cedar City, Utah
Spinal Degenerative Arthritis, Bilateral Arthritis of the Feet, Bilateral Shoulder Impingements, PTSD, Chronic Alcoholism
The head chef at a regional hospital in Utah developed extensive arthritis in his spine, hands and shoulders. He also suffered from several mental health conditions, including chronic alcoholism. These conditions eventually became disabling and so he applied for Long Term Disability benefits from his policy’s carrier. He was initially approved, which ran for a full year. However, The Hartford then sent him a letter stating they were terminating his Long Term Disability benefits, claiming he was capable of returning to work in alternate occupations.
Not knowing where to turn, he retained Fields Law Firm. Our team of attorneys ordered updated medical records from his providers and wrote to his doctors to ask for their support. The Fields Law team put together an appeal of The Hartford’s denial decision and submitted it along with exhibits. The Hartford spent several weeks considering the appeal before returning a decision on the case. They issued a letter stating they were overturning their prior denial decision, paid all the back benefits to date and reinstated all benefits going forward.