A Minnesota federal court ruled that Unum was wrong to deny long-term disability benefits to Sara Whitehouse, an Addiction Medicine Specialist suffering from Long-Haul COVID and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
Background
Sara Whitehouse, a licensed physician, worked as an addiction specialist at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Minnesota, a designated Covid-19 deployment center. She contracted Covid-19 and became ill with symptoms like nausea, fatigue, abdominal pain, and body aches.
Ms. Whitehouse returned to work after about a week, but her shortness of breath and fatigue worsened, making talking and walking difficult. She sought emergency room treatment in May 2020.
Since contracting Covid-19, Ms. Whitehouse has experienced:
- Fatigue
- Vocal cord dysfunction
- Cardiomyopathy
- Chronic pain
- Post-exertional malaise
- Unrefreshing sleep
- Cognitive impairments
- Orthostatic intolerance
Due to the severity of her symptoms, her doctors recommended she stop working. Ms. Whitehouse filed for short-term disability benefits, which Unum approved for the full 180-day period. However, Unum denied her claim for long-term disability benefits, leading her to file a lawsuit.
The Court’s Review
The court thoroughly reviewed the evidence and found that Ms. Whitehouse met the definition of disability and was entitled to benefits. The court criticized Unum’s medical review by its consultant, Dr. Scott Norris, who concluded that Ms. Whitehouse was not disabled.
The court found Dr. Norris’s rationale unpersuasive, noting:
- He inconsistently treated Ms. Whitehouse’s subjective complaints.
- He wrongfully used moments of physical improvement to suggest overall recovery.
- He failed to consider the collective impact of her conditions.
- He focused too much on the lack of work restrictions while ignoring ongoing restrictions.
- He dismissed evidence as not “time relevant,” despite being asked to assess work restrictions from March 16, 2021, onward.
- He faulted Ms. Whitehouse for not providing objective evidence, although her conditions do not typically have such evidence.
The court dismissed Dr. Norris’s report and found Ms. Whitehouse’s evidence persuasive, concluding that Unum was wrong to deny her benefits.
This case highlights how insurance companies may ignore disability evidence in favor of flawed medical reviews. Having a knowledgeable long-term disability lawyer is crucial in fighting against these insurers.
Our Lawyers Specialize in Disability Insurance Claims
Because our law firm has always focused only on disability insurance, our lawyers are experts in legal representation for disability insurance benefits.
That means our disability lawyers have:
- Won several major disability lawsuits that help make better law for disability claimants;
- Experience fighting every major insurance company, such as UNUM, Hartford, MetLife, CIGNA, Prudential, and more.
- Successfully represented hundreds of clients and won millions of dollars in disability benefits.
Because federal law applies to most disability insurance claims, we can help clients across the country.
Disability insurance companies have lawyers. You should too. Call 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; or
- Filing a lawsuit against your disability insurance company.
Call for a free consultation with a disability attorney. No fees or costs until you get paid.
