Prudential Approves Appeal for Failed Back Syndrome and Foot Drop

Prudential approved our client’s appeal for failed back syndrome and foot drop. Our client was a supply chain technician located in Florida. The pain and discomfort he experiences daily keeps him from sitting, standing, or walking for long periods of time.

Prudential approved and paid our client’s long-term disability claim for 24 months. It agreed our client was disabled from his own occupation. Then, without any improvement in his medical condition, Prudential terminated his long-term disability benefits stating he could work in any gainful occupation. In making its decision, Prudential relied on its own doctors review of the medical records and surveillance footage of our client. Nothing in the surveillance footage went against his disability.

Failed Back Syndrome

The diagnosis of failed back syndrome is post laminectomy syndrome. This happens when many back surgeries still provide no relief to the patient. There are many reasons why a back surgery (or more than one) may or may not work. The most common reasons for having back surgery is to decompress a nerve root that is pinched or to stabilize a painful back joint. As a result, a patient suffering from failed back syndrome is unable to work a full time job. They are in constant pain and cannot sit or stand for long periods.

Prudential’s Tactics

Prudential often uses video surveillance to terminate or deny long-term disability benefits. Prudential may have you watched over several days and during the course of several months. When the investigator films you during that one good day that you are out and about, Prudential uses this footage against you. Someone who suffers from failed back syndrome, like many other medical conditions, will have “good” and “bad” days. Video surveillance showing a snapshot of your activities is not a reliable source to disprove disability.

We Can Help

The long-term disability lawyers at Dabdoub Law Firm, P.A. have experience dealing with Prudential. We know their tactics for reviewing disability claims. We have successfully handled hundreds of claims, appeals and lawsuits against them. We have represented many clients with failed back syndrome against the major disability insurance companies in addition to Prudential including Unum, Aetna, Hartford, Lincoln Financial, and others.