Following a long history of depression and anxiety, our client’s daughter applied for short-term disability (STD) benefits in October 2020. Although she had taken active steps to improve her mental health, including divorcing her abusive husband and moving across the country, she became unable to keep working.
Grateful to have a disability policy that allowed her to apply for STD benefits, she took advantage of it and submitted a claim with The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company (Lincoln). The insurance company recognized the severity of her mental issues and granted her STD benefits in November 2020.
However, Lincoln unexpectedly terminated her STD benefits in January 2021, despite medical records indicating no improvement in her situation. Following her tragic death four months later, her mother reached out to Dabdoub Law Firm to appeal Lincoln’s decision in Sacramento, CA.
Lincoln Alleged Our Client’s Daughter Did Not Need STD Benefits Despite Her Unchanged Condition
When Lincoln terminated her short-term disability benefits, the company asserted that the mental health our client’s daughter had improved enough for her to regain full-time employment. However, their description of her situation was not consistent with her medical records and other events at the time of the termination and in the following months. The loss of her STD benefits caused additional distress to our client’s daughter.
The Commitment of Our Client’s Daughter to Improve Her Mental Health Was Not Enough
Our client’s daughter had been dedicated to finding treatment for her mental health even after Lincoln abruptly terminated her short-term disability benefits. A Nurse Practitioner’s note from a January 2021 visit diagnosed our client’s daughter with anxiety and severe depression and mentioned daily self-harm thoughts. A psychiatrist prescribed several medications between February and March 2021 to treat her generalized anxiety, major depression, and PTSD. However, none were successful.
As a last resort, our client’s daughter went for a transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy consultation. This treatment uses magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells in the brain to alleviate depression symptoms and can be an effective option when other methods failed.
Lincoln’s Decision Led to the Death of Our Client’s Daughter
Before X could find the money to get transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy in the hope to improve her mental health, she tragically passed away in May 2021 after driving from Tennessee to California without stopping or resting. Between her diabetes and her severe depression, she passed out from exhaustion and died shortly after she was found in her hotel room. Her parents chose to donate her organs to help others in need. She is also survived by two sons. if only Lincoln hadn’t interrupted her treatment, our client’s daughter would still be alive!
We have filed an appeal with Lincoln and provided them with substantial evidence, including medical records, death certificates, and a letter from the deceased’s mother. Lincoln agreed to pay the remainder of the STD benefits of our client’s daughter to her surviving family members.
Help from a Lawyer with Expertise in Disability Insurance
Disability insurance law is complex, which is why hiring an experienced disability attorney is important. All our lawyers focus on disability insurance claims, which gives us the expertise in disability insurance law.
At Dabdoub Law Firm, we have:
- Experience with every major disability insurance company
- A proven track record of success in winning major disability lawsuits
- Recovered millions of dollars in disability benefits for clients
To help you get the help you need, we never charge fees or costs unless you 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; or
- Filing a lawsuit against your disability insurance company.
Because federal law applies to most disability insurance claims, our lawyers can represent clients across the country.
Contact Dabdoub Law Firm today at (800) 969-0488 to speak with an experienced disability attorney. We offer free consultations.
