In an unusual case recently handled by our attorneys of Dabdoub Law Firm, Lincoln National determined a legally blind man was capable of working in any occupation. Due to that internal decision, the insurer canceled his long term disability benefits. Given the obvious faults in this logic, our lawyers challenged the decision with success, being able to get the insurance company to reinstate his benefits so he can try to live comfortably as can be, given his medical conditions.
Details of the Legally Blind Worker Case
Our client in Holy Cross, Iowa stopped working in 2016 due to a number of chronic medical conditions, including chronic back pain, susceptibility to illness due to necessary immunosuppressant prescriptions, and retinal degeneration that had rendered him legally blind. Lincoln approved his long term disability benefits at first, marking the beginning date in February 2017. However, he was later notified that he would no longer receive any LTD benefits once the policy definition of disability switched from “own occupation” to “any occupation.”
In so many words, Lincoln had bizarrely concluded that a man who was legally blind could reasonably work in any occupation. It does not take a medical doctorate to confidently assume that someone with a degenerative eye condition “similar to cancer” – according to his doctors – would likely be unable to work at all, and certainly not in all fields.
Based on the research conducted by Dabdoub Law Firm, we concluded that Lincoln either misunderstood the nature of his condition, or underestimated its severity. The misunderstanding could originate from an original letter from our client’s ophthalmologist dated in 2016 that opined he was unable to keep working in his own occupation. However, a year later, the same ophthalmologist noted the degenerative nature of the medical condition had rendered our client disabled from all occupations. Perhaps it is that Lincoln never saw this second letter, or did not consider it when reevaluating his disability benefits.
When we brought the egregious error to the attention of Lincoln through an appeal letter, the insurer corrected its stance and reinstated his long term disability benefits. We are thankful to be able to say that our client is once again receiving the financial aid he requires.
Having an Experienced Disability Attorney Matters
Disability insurance law is complicated. If your claim for long term disability benefits was denied or is being delayed by an insurance company, it is important to get legal help from a lawyer who focuses on disability law. As a law firm built to focus disability insurance, all our lawyers spend every day working to get our clients disability benefits from insurance companies. Because federal law applies to most disability insurance claims, we do not have to be located in your state to help.
Dabdoub Law Firm represents clients nationwide with:
- Submitting a disability insurance claim;
- Appealing a long-term disability denial;
- Negotiating a lump-sum settlement; or
- Filing a lawsuit against your disability insurance company.
Call (800) 969-0488 to speak with a disability insurance attorney.
Because each client’s case is unique and has different facts, results similar to those in other clients’ cases are not guaranteed.
