Ortiz Law Firm is dedicated to helping people recover the disability benefits they deserve. We handle group Long Term Disability (LTD) claims, individual disability insurance policy claims, ERISA disability claims, and Social Security Disability claims.

Case Summary Blog

Cannon v. Aetna – Aetna Not Bound By the SSA’s Disability Determination

Case Name:  Gregory Cannon v. Aetna Life Insurance Company Court: United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts Type of Claim: Long Term Disability Insurance Company: Aetna Life Insurance Company (hereinafter “Aetna”) Claimant’s Employer: PharMerica Corp Claimant’s Occupation / Job Position: Pharmacist Disabilities: Gastroparesis, syncope, and working diagnoses of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, Lyme disease, Parkinson’s disease …

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Dardick v. Unum – Unum Succeeds In Denying LTD Claim For Cardiac Impairments

In Dardick v. Unum Life Insurance Company of America and First Unum Life Insurance Company, Unum succeeded in denying the claimant long-term disability insurance benefits. Dardick filed a lawsuit after Unum Life Insurance Company of America denied his claim for benefits under a group disability benefits plan provided by his previous employer, Westcon Group, Inc. The U.S. District …

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Gaines v. Aetna – Court Rules Aetna Refused to Credit Reliable Evidence

Case Name: Ronda Gaines v. Aetna Inc. Court: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia Date of Decision: March 31, 2015 Type of Claim: Long Term Disability under ERISA Insurance Company: Aetna Life Insurance Company (ALIC) Claimant’s Employer: Aetna Inc. Claimant’s Occupation / Job Position: Care Manager Consultant Disabilities: The Plaintiff suffered from multiple medical issues, including lupus, fibromyalgia, asthma, and mild degenerative joint changes. …

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Brown v. LINA – Can A Peer Review Doctor Outweigh My Doctor’s Opinion?

Case Name: Brown v. Life Insurance Company of North America Court: United States District Court for the District of Arizona Date of Decision: December 12, 2014 Type of Claim: Long Term Disability Insurance Company: Life Insurance Company of North America (hereinafter “LINA”) Claimant’s Employer: National Instruments Claimant’s Occupation / Job Position: General Counsel / Commercial Lawyer Disabilities: Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) – frequently …

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Paquin v. Prudential – Insurer Wrongfully Disregarded Opinions Of Treating Physicians

In this case, the claimant won a reinstatement of his long term disability insurance benefits in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado. The Plaintiff’s Medical History and Claim History:  Mr. Paquin worked for Transistor Devices, Inc. as a Business Development Director. In 2003, Mr. Paquin contracted encephalitis from a mosquito infected …

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Robinson v. Aetna – Claim Sent Back to Insurer to Assess Disability Under Plan’s “Any Occupation” Definition

Background of Long Term Disability Claim with Aetna Plaintiff Laverne Robinson brought a lawsuit against Aetna Life Insurance Company (“Aetna”) and Mondelez Global LLC Employee-Paid Group Benefits Plan (“the Plan”) for unpaid long-term disability (“LTD”) benefits under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”). Robinson was a former Mondelez employee. As an employee, …

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Abi-Aad v. Unum – Court Finds Plaintiff Failed to Meet His Burden of Proof for Long Term Disability

An ERISA long term disability insurance case between Daniel Abi-Aad and Unum was decided on April 7, 2023 by United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. The parties filed cross-motions for summary judgment. The Court ruled against the claimant Abi-Aad, and ruled in favor of Unum Insurance Company of America. Abi-Aad worked with …

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Arenson v. Unum – Court Ruled In Favor of Unum Under Deferential Standard of Review

Today we review Arenson v. First Unum Life Insurance Company that was decided by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Gregg Arenson was a futures and options trade broker. He sued his former employer’s benefits administrator, First Unum Life Insurance Company (hereinafter “Unum”) under ERISA. He challenged Unum’s denial of …

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Moseley v. Unum – Unum Should Have Ordered an IME to Determine if Disability Was Mental or Physical

Unum paid long term disability (LTD) insurance benefits to Susan Moseley, but stopped paying after a period of time pursuant to the mental illness limitation in her long term disability policy (a policy is also called a “plan” of benefits). Moseley appealed the case all the way to federal court, arguing that Unum abused its …

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Marselle v. Unum – Kentucky District Court Finds Unum Made a “Reasoned Determination”

Jonni Marselle was covered for long term disability (LTD) benefits under a group plan provided to Humana, Marselle’s former employer. Marselle was a consultant with Humana. The position was sedentary as it required her to constantly sit, occasionally stand, and occasionally walk. She mostly did computer work. Her disabilities included immunodeficiency, serious back pain, sinus …

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