Man files lawsuit over termination of long-term disability

When an injury or illness makes you unable to continue working, you may file for long-term disability benefits. What happens, though, if those benefits are terminated because the insurance provider says you are no longer disabled?

One man’s answer is to file a lawsuit against the insurance company to have the benefits reinstated. The man, who is a former Frontier Communications Corp. sales and service technician in California, has filed a complaint against The Prudential Insurance Co. of American. The man alleges that the company violated the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.

The man was originally receiving long-term disability benefits due to being disabled and unable to work. In October 2015, those benefits were terminated. The lawsuit claims that the man was still disabled according to the policy’s terms and while he had medical records that supported his claim for benefits. The man is seeking benefits from November 2015 until he is no longer disabled according to the plan’s terms, plus all legal fees and other relief that the court finds is just.

When an insurance provider terminates long-term disability benefits, an employee may believe that he or she is still entitled to those benefits. In some cases, the employee may file an appeal in order to fight the termination. In other cases, though, the advice and guidance of an attorney can prove invaluable in seeking to have benefits reinstated. If you believe you still meet the plan’s terms and that the termination of benefits was in error, an attorney can advise you of your legal options and how to proceed.

Source: Northern California Record, “Sales and service tech files suit seeking reinstatement of disability benefits,” Wadi Reformado, Aug. 17, 2016