Dabdoub Law Firm is happy to announce another great success story from Attorney Geannina Burgos. She recently secured long-term disability benefits for a client who was diagnosed with several worsening health conditions yet had her claim denied by MetLife. At the threat of being taken to court, where the whole world could learn of the unjust claim denial, MetLife reversed its decision, and our client now has the LTD benefits she deserved from the beginning.
Details of the Associate Director’s Disability Case
Our client worked as an Associate Director at the Kimberly-Clark Corporation for more than a decade, where she enjoyed a thriving career that she hoped to fulfill until retirement. However, before 40th birthday, she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, Lyme disease, fibromyalgia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and several other serious health conditions. Overlapping, her comorbid conditions caused a variety of symptoms, including chronic pain and fatigue that interrupted her occupation and any attempt to find work that could accommodate her.
When she initially filed an LTD claim with MetLife, she included the outcome of an Independent Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE), which revealed she had “notable physical and functional deficits and corresponding psycho-social effects” that left her “unable to maintain consistent active employment at any position, at any level, and for any duration.” The statement also explained that she could not conduct tasks that needed “repetitive hand use, such as typing and writing,” and that “even a sedentary position would prove too difficult.” Despite this clear explanation of her disabling conditions, MetLife concluded that she should be able to find work in some capacity and rejected her claim.
As she was working on the case, Attorney Burgos outlined how our client’s mental health prevented her from working but also focused on her physical disabilities. As the FCE explained, she has “significant weakness in bilateral upper extremities” that makes it painful to stay sitting or standing for even a few hours. The explanation not only aligned with our client’s descriptions of her own conditions and hardships but also with evaluations from several other medical experts. One physical therapist even explained that she had a negatively impacted lung expansion capacity due to severe thoracic kyphosis, which not only caused labored breathing but also impaired her ability to think, focus, and concentrate on a task. Another physical therapist added that, despite extensive treatments, he expected her to continue to suffer from “low energy availability, chronic fatigue, and sleep disturbances.”
The list of medical expert statements and evaluations that outlined our client’s disabling conditions truly is exhaustive. Yet MetLife didn’t seem to understand how those conclusions pointed to multiple disabilities that warranted long-term disability benefits under the company’s own policy terms. It wasn’t until Dabdoub Law Firm intervened and promised legal action that MetLife agreed that disability benefits should be provided. Regardless of why the insurer refused to pay out LTD benefits in the first place, we are grateful that the case has been resolved fairly now and without the need for drawn-out litigation.
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 that has 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; 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.