In this case, Tommy W. Senegal (“Senegal”) had a long-term disability policy that was administered by Reliance Standard Life Insurance Company (“Reliance”) as a benefit of his employment by Cequel III, LLC (“Cequel”). Senegal worked for Cequel as a field service engineer; his duties were specifically related to supervising cable installation. This installation process involved …
Engineer
Engineers will find it challenging to get a long term disability claim approved. Insurance companies such as Cigna, Hartford, Lincoln, MetLife, Prudential, Reliance Standard, and Unum will search for virtually any reason to deny the claim. By providing strong medical evidence, keeping a low profile, and not rushing back to work too soon, an engineer can create a solid case for disability.
Court Rules Claimant’s Lawsuit is Frivolous
Case Name: James B. Sumpter v. Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Court: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit Date of Decision: April 18, 2017 Type of Claim: Long Term Disability Insurance Company: Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, aka MetLife for short. Claimant’s Employer: General Motors Claimant’s Occupation / Job Position: Electrical Engineer Procedural history: Sumpter then brought this ERISA suit in the Southern …
Doctor’s Conclusion Outweighs Subjective Complaints
Case Name: Randall v. Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Court: U.S.D.C for the Northern District of California Date of Decision: February 6, 2017 Type of Claims: Short term disability, long term disability, and related health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits. Insurance Company: Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, aka MetLife. Claimant’s Employer: Verizon Wireless Claimant’s Occupation / Job Position: Facilities Network Engineer Disabilities: Randall suffers …
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Denial Upheld with Surveillance & Treating Physician Opinions
Case Name: Campbell v. Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Company Court: U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida Judge: Judge Marra Date of Decision: October 15, 2018 Type of Claim: Long Term Disability Insurance Company: Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Company Claimant’s Employer: Unify Inc. Claimant’s Occupation / Job Position: Software engineer, a sedentary position that principally required sitting and computer/desk …
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Court Affirms That Claimants Must Exhaust Appeals to File Suit
In this case, Tiffany Ausler (“Ausler”) worked as a software engineer for Boeing Corporation (“Boeing”). Because she was a Boeing employee, Ausler was covered under both short-term and long-term disability compensation plans where Aetna Life Insurance Company (“Aetna”) was the administrator of the plans. The plan brochure explains that an employee may be eligible for short-term disability benefits if the …
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Engineer’s Case Remanded For Further Review
This case involves James Ampe (“Ampe”), a Senior Development and Test Engineer employed by MIT Lincoln Laboratories (“MIT”). Ampe’s job duties included not only traditional electrical engineer work, but also regular client interactions. He was employed by the company from 2008 to January 26, 2015. Around August 2011, Ampe injured himself when he fell and …