Our Victories in Court
A Track Record of Winning Long Term Disability Insurance Lawsuits
When it comes to long term disability insurance law firms, Dabdoub Law Firm can show a proven track record of success. In fact, in just about a year-in-a-half, we have won four long term disability benefits cases in federal court! This includes a win against the very tough to beat NFL disability plan. Another case settled after the court agreed with us that our client was disabled.
It is unusual to win the majority of long term disability lawsuits. Insurance companies actually win a very high percentage of disability insurance lawsuits compared to other areas of the law. This is because the law, in particular ERISA, is much more favorable to insurance companies like UNUM, CIGNA or LINA, Aetna, and Prudential, than disability claimants.
The team of lawyers, led by Attorney Edward Dabdoub, at Dabdoub Law Firm have fought back for clients and have achieved outstanding results with only one loss out of six in the past two years.
We have dedicated the entirety of our practice to helping LTD insurance claimants pursue and receive the benefits they need and deserve from insurance companies that would rather save a dollar than potentially save a life. To date, we have secured millions of dollars in disability benefits for our clients, and there is no sign of us slowing down any time soon.
There is no steeper opposition than the defense counsel representing an insurance company in a federal case. Yet, we have prevailed time and time again for our clients. The firm proudly represents LTD insurance clients in all 50 states.
When you need help with your claim, call (800) 969-0488 right away.
Our Recent & Major Victories in Federal Court
This disability insurance law firm can back-up its claim as a law firm that can take on disability insurance companies from the start of a LTD claim all the way to winning the case in court. How? We have court wins in federal trial courts and courts of appeals. It’s important to hire a law firm with a proven record of success all the way through court wins in this complicated area of the law.
Our recent victories against insurance companies in federal court:
- Miller v. PNC Disability Plan: In this case that concluded in October 2017, our client suffered from degenerative disc disease, a serious medical condition that cause her to suffer chronic pain. To try to alleviate her symptoms, she underwent five total surgeries but none were successful in preventing her disability. Liberty reviewed disability claims for PNC and initially approved her benefits, only to inexplicably terminate them later. The case eventually went to federal court, where the Chief Judge ruled in our client’s favor. As such, this case result helped set some groundwork for future similar cases on some very complicated legal issues.
- Ashmore v. NFL Disability Plan: In 2018, Dabdoub Law Firm had the honor of winning a case for NFL star Darryl Ashmore, who sought disability benefits through the Player Disability & Neurocognitive Benefit Plan managed by the NFL. Across 11 seasons of play, Mr. Ashmore suffered a variety of injuries that caused migraines, chronic pain, and more health complications. To try to discourage him from seeking benefits, the Plan told him that he must attend numerous medical evaluations in multiple states in just a few weeks’ time, despite travel being detrimental health due to his conditions. After he understandably did not attend all the medical evaluations, the NFL outright denied his disability benefits, which is when Dabdoub Law Firm filed suit to recover his disability benefits. We fought a formidable opponent like the NFL in court and won.
- Bradshaw v. Reliance Standard: Our client suffered a stroke not long after giving birth, causing her to become disabled and unable to return to work. Reliance Standard denied her benefits on the basis that her pregnancy had apparently contributed to her stroke, and that she had not been insured by the company prior to her pregnancy. Dabdoub Law Firm helped Ms. Bradshaw appeal the case to a federal court of appeal and argued against the insurer’s “but for” argument. In a decision that would help form the basis for similar future cases, the court held that the “substantially contributed to” test must be applied. That is to say, if her pregnancy did not “substantially contribute to” her stroke’s occurrence, then her benefits cannot be denied. Our team prevailed on behalf of Ms. Bradshaw in February 2019.
- Kaviani v. Reliance Standard: As recently as May 2019, Dabdoub Law Firm won another LTD benefits case in federal court. This time, Reliance Standard tried to portray our client as lying about his disability. As a dentist, our client needed to use precise dental tools in the average day, but his chronic pain prevented him from being able to use them with the right amount of care. The insurer tried to use medical opinions from its own doctors that said he should be at work in pain because it was better than being at home in pain, and that his disability had no outwardly visible symptoms. With a pile of evidence of his disability and inability to work as a dentist, Dabdoub Law Firm countered Reliance Standard’s argument, challenged the medical opinions, and won the case for our client, forever changing his life for the better.
- Kaviani Win in the United States Court of Appeals: After winning the disability lawsuit for a Florida dentist disabled from cervicalgia, Reliance appealed that decision. The case went to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, which sided with our client, marking a major victory by Dabdoub Law Firm for our client.
- Millis v. Ameritas: Dabdoub Law Firm took to The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois to fight against Ameritas regarding their specialty own-occupation disability insurance policies. We won for our client who was an Illinois liver transplant surgeon who suffered from a wrist injury disabling him from his occupation.
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Gimeno Win in the United States Court of Appeals: When our client filed a life insurance claim after his spouse’s death, he discovered that his late spouse had been paying premiums for supplemental life insurance benefits that never made it to the insurance company. As a plan administrator, NCHMD, Inc. misled its employee and our client’s spouse, causing our client (the primary beneficiary of the plan) to miss out on $350,000 in benefits.
Our client sued NCHMD, Inc. for equitable relief, but cited the wrong statute. When he sought to amend his claim, the District Court denied his request. Dabdoub Law Firm helped our client appeal, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit reversed the district court’s decision.
Now, our client can sue NCHMD, Inc. for mishandling his late spouse’s life insurance policy. While he cannot get benefits, he will be entitled to the relief he needs, and the United States Court of Appeals upheld all ERISA plan beneficiaries’ right to equitable relief.
Our Disability Attorneys Can Help You
Dabdoub Law Firm was built to be a disability insurance law firm. Because all our disability lawyers focus on disability insurance claims, we have significant experience with every major disability insurance company and have won important disability lawsuits, including many that go to federal court.
Let us help at any stage of your long term disability claim, such as:
- Submitting a disability insurance claim
- Appealing a long-term disability denial
- Filing a lawsuit against your disability insurance company
Hiring an experienced disability attorney is important. Because federal law applies to most disability insurance claims, our lawyers do not have to be located in your state to help you!
Call (800) 969-0488 for a free consultation with an experienced disability attorney.
