After Standard Insurance Company wrongfully denied our Iowa client the long-term disability (LTD) benefits he deserves, our determined disability insurance lawyers stepped in to remind The Standard of their legal and ethical obligations under ERISA law.
“[My client] has now provided substantial evidence that he was continuously disabled from his last date worked, throughout the Benefit Waiting Period, and through the present date,” Attorney Kevin Probst informed The Standard.
Fortunately, Dabdoub Law Firm successfully appealed to the insurer to obtain the disability benefits that our client rightfully deserved from the start. Keep reading to learn more about his recent success story in Des Moines, Iowa.
Dabdoub Attorney Successfully Appeals to The Standard on Client’s Behalf
Despite overwhelming evidence of our client’s disability, his disability insurer denied his claim for LTD benefits in August 2022, informing the Des Moines resident that he did not meet the “Own Occupation” definition of disability.
Luckily, our skilled Dabdoub disability attorney wasted no time setting the record straight, telling the insurer that his client has been “unable to perform with reasonable continuity the Material Duties of his Own or Any Occupation” since 2021—a fact that remains unchanged today.
Despite the wealth of medical evidence indicating his client’s long-term disability, Attorney Probst kindly provided new evidence in the form of a Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) to fortify this truth.
“Notably, courts have recognized that an FCE remains one of the most reliable and accurate means of assessing functionality,” he reminds The Standard in his letter.
“[The patient] demonstrated severe impairments with all tested physical domains,” the FCE reads, adding that of these, our client’s “greatest working impairments” include sporadic visual and neurological symptoms, intermittent left hemiparesis and paresthesia, left-side paralysis, loss of speech, migraines, the inability to perform tasks with the left hand—including typing, handling papers, gripping, holding, and performing other dexterity tasks.
“Walking, stooping and transitioning from position to position are all restricted due to lower back pain,” the report concludes, adding that the patient “is considered to be a fall risk” and “his walking is restricted to ~30 minutes per day.”
The Standard’s Denial of Benefits Was Wrong & Unreasonable
Given that our Iowa client cannot perform “basic tasks” on his left side, let alone perform more advanced occupational duties with his neurological impairments, Attorney Probst informed The Standard to promptly approve his client’s benefits—a duty they were obligated to fulfill from the beginning.
“[My client] is confident that given a second good faith look on appeal, The Standard will agree that his entitlement to his benefits is clear,” Attorney Probst concludes. Thankfully, our Dabdoub attorney successfully appealed to The Standard on his Iowa client’s behalf to instate the LTD benefits he was, and is, rightfully entitled to.
Lawyers with Expertise in Disability Insurance Claims
This law firm has always focused only on disability insurance law. Because we specialize in long-term disability, our clients get the benefit of:
- Having an attorney who is an expert in long-term disability claims;
- Having an attorney who has experience with every major disability insurance company; and
- Being backed by a law firm with a proven track record of winning tough disability lawsuits.
Call the Dabdoub Law Firm to get experienced disability lawyers on your side. We can help with:
- Submitting a disability insurance claim;
- Appealing a long-term disability denial;
- Negotiating a lump-sum settlement; and/or
- Filing a lawsuit against your disability insurance company.
The firm represents clients nationwide with disability claims governed by federal law, even if we are not located in your state.
Call (800) 969-0488 or contact us online to speak with an experienced disability attorney. Pay no fees or costs unless you get paid.
