Before becoming disabled, our client described herself as “the energizer bunny,” and her loved ones agreed. She also said her occupation as a Senior Executive Assistant in Atlanta, Georgia made her feel like “Supergirl on fire.”
Our client loved her job, she excelled at it, and she spent 25 years of her career helping other people. This energy and generosity extended to her personal life, where she kept a beautiful home and served neighbors in need.
To get to this point in her life, our client had to overcome severe personal trauma. In a previous marriage, she was subjected to severe domestic abuse that resulted in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injuries (TBI).
Although these issues appeared to be in the past, the body does not forget, and a series of car accidents increased our client’s physical pain to the point that she received multiple diagnoses and lost her ability to work – and function in normal society.
The energizer bunny lost her battery and applied for long-term disability benefits. When CIGNA LINA cruelly denied her claim, she asked Dabdoub Law Firm for help.
Our Client Has Unanimous Support from Her Physicians
All five (5) of our client’s trading physicians agree on her disability. She has also obtained a functional capacity evaluation (FCE) that reveals less than sedentary capabilities.
Although our client was good at her job, she suffers from PTSD due to domestic abuse that caused her to suffer repeated blows to the head and resulted in permanent brain injury. When a series of 3 car accidents over a 4-year period caused further injury to her head and neck, she underwent multiple spinal cord fusion surgeries to alleviate her pain.
Unfortunately, the surgeries failed, and she continues to suffer constant, throbbing, sharp, hot-burning pain in her lower back, mid-back, right arm, right hip, right leg, right foot, and head.
Our client’s headaches are so severe that she may faint during them, and she suffers “continuous and persistent cognitive dysfunction.” Our client feels tired all the time, gets lost easily, struggles to remember things she just heard, and feels like she is falling apart overall.
Her list of diagnoses includes:
- Chronic prolonged post-concussive syndrome (a type of TBI)
- PTSD
- Major depression
- Chronic back pain
- Cognitive impairments
- Inability to sit/stand for prolonged periods
- Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder
- Anxiety
- Tachycardia
- Type 2 diabetes mellitus
- Spinal fusion
- Failed back surgery syndrome
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Weight loss
- Fatigue
- Fibromyalgia
- And more
Any one of these medical conditions could justify long-term disability benefits. Together, they render our client incapable of working in any occupation.
How Our Client’s Disability Affects Her
Additionally, our client’s medical conditions have severely disrupted her personal life.
As she explains:
“I cannot feel my right foot, my back hurts, my head hurts, the uncontrollable rage at even the slightest irritation. I feel helpless to control these behaviors to the extent I even felt it might be best to end my life as I just lie helplessly in bed unable to be the me used to being the energizer bunny doing any and everything I could possibly to help the next human being in need rather than this brainless person I was becoming.”
Naturally, our client takes medication to try and manage her pain and moods, but these drugs make many of her problems worse.
If she could return to work and the life she had before her car accidents and failed spinal surgeries, she would.
Instead, our client has withdrawn from life, and she now depends on her common-law spouse to take care of her. Her loved ones worry about her and do not feel comfortable leaving her alone.
How does CIGNA LINA expect our client to return to work in this state?
Dabdoub Law Firm Reminds CIGNA LINA of Its Duties
Looking at the extensive medical evidence, our client does not understand how CIGNA LINA could deny her claim for long-term disability benefits. We provided the insurance company with even more information upon appeal and reminded CIGNA LINA that it must act in our client’s best interests under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA).
Because CIGNA LINA conducted an incomplete review and took favorable information out of context to deny our client’s claim, we gave the insurance company another chance to do things the right way.
After reviewing the overwhelming evidence Dabdoub Law Firm provided, CIGNA LINA had no choice but to approve our client’s disability benefits.
With everything our client has suffered, we were pleased to have helped her avoid further financial harm.
Help from a Lawyer with Expertise in Disability Insurance
Disability insurance law is complex, which is why you need an experienced disability attorney to help you with your claim. All disability lawyers at Dabdoub Law Firm focus on disability insurance claims, so we have developed expertise in disability insurance law.
That means we have:
- Experience with every major disability insurance company.
- A proven track record of success in major disability lawsuits.
- Recovered millions of dollars in disability benefits for our clients.
Additionally, we never charge fees or costs unless our clients get paid.
Our firm can help at any stage of your disability insurance claim, including:
- Submitting a disability insurance claim,
- Appealing a long-term disability denial,
- Negotiating a lump-sum settlement, and
- Filing a lawsuit against your disability insurance company.
Because federal law applies to most disability insurance claims, our lawyers are able to represent clients across the country.
Call us at (800) 969-0488 or send us a message online to speak with an experienced disability attorney. Consultations are free.
