Attorneys Greg Dell, Stephen Jessup, and Alex Palamara from Dell Disability Lawyers discuss a successful disability insurance appeal against Principal Financial Group. Their client—a director of operations helping at-risk youth—suffered a heart attack and was denied short-term, long-term, and life insurance waiver benefits all at once.
Principal’s denial was based on a single internal medical review claiming the client could perform sedentary work, ignoring his cognitive issues, fatigue, and PTSD, as well as the mental and leadership demands of his job. The attorneys gathered strong medical, cognitive, and functional evidence proving he couldn’t sustain full-time work, even at a sedentary level.
After extensive appeal efforts, Principal reversed its decision, approving both short- and long-term disability benefits (though the life waiver case remains pending). The lawyers note an increase in Principal’s disability denials and emphasize the importance of thorough medical documentation, understanding job demands, and experienced legal help when appealing such claims.