$4 Million in Long-Term Disability Benefits After Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis
Our client first began experiencing various initial symptoms, including numbness, and tingling sensations in his left arm and hand and face. He sought the care of specialists, including a neurologist, which eventually led to a spinal tap that confirmed he had Multiple Sclerosis (“MS”).
MS Symptoms Can Be Disabling and Hard to Quantify
MS is a permanent and progressive disease that can cause a myriad of unpredictable symptoms, including chronic pain and fatigue, vision problems, muscle numbness, tingling, spasms and weakness, mobility issues, migraine headaches, and cognitive and speech impairments. Our client also had MRIs, which showed lesions on his brain as well as lesions in his cervical and thoracic sections of his spine. Our client’s neurologist documented his many restrictions, including his disabling fatigue which was hard to quantify.
MS Symptoms Prevented Him from Working as a Trial Attorney
At the time of his disability, our client was an equity partner and trial attorney at a law firm In Kansas City, Missouri. He had many job responsibilities, including supervising other attorneys, managing up to 100 clients and cases at a time, preparing cases for trial, and marketing the firm. His attempts to continue working were unsuccessful, due the symptoms and effects of the disease preventing him from keeping up with the demands of his occupation. He lost clients due to his inability to perform the material and substantial duties of a trial attorney.
Long-Term Disability Was Paid but Later Cut-off
Eventually, our client’s work hours had to be reduced due to the impact of the stress on his symptoms, and pain and fatigue that resulted. This caused him to lose significant earnings. He applied for long-term disability with his insurance company UNUM, and began receiving benefits. Suddenly, his claim was denied. UNUM claimed he had the “ability to perform the material and substantial duties of your regular occupation on a full-time basis.”
Our Appeal Was Successful and Benefits Were Reinstated
Fortunately, our client hired our long-term disability attorney to handle his appeal. Our firm requested the complete claim file and conducted its own investigation into the policy, his medical condition, and his occupational demands. We hired a vocational expert and obtained additional medical records and opinions. We took our client’s personal statement and obtained additional data from his employer. The final appeal summarized the case law and facts that supported his disability claim. This appeal, including all the exhibits, was hundreds of pages in length.
The result was the insurance company quickly overturned its denial decision. Our client was paid back benefits in the amount of $322,320, and he began receiving monthly benefit checks. If our client remains disabled under the policy, he is eligible to receive up to $3.7 million in additional long-term disability benefits. This equates to a total potential benefit amount of $4 million.
Contact Our Long-Term Disability Attorney Today
If you or a loved one were denied long-term disability due to Multiple Sclerosis or another disability medical condition, please know you are not alone. Our long-term disability attorney helps claimants receive the benefits they deserve.
Call us today at 816-203-0143. We will review your denial letter for free and provide a strategy on how to fight back. You can also download our free long-term disability book, Danger: Proceed at Your Own Risk. This guide shares insights regarding long-term disability appeals and why you should hire our long-term disability lawyer to handle such an appeal. We're here to help, and on your side!
