Long Term Disability Law Blog
We discuss a successful long-term disability appeal against The Hartford. The case involved an Amazon employee who developed severe back and neurological issues that prevented him from working. Hartford approved his claim initially but terminated benefits after almost two years – just before the policy’s definition of disability changed from “own occupation” to “any occupation.”
Hartford denied the claim based on an internal medical review and vocational assessment, saying he could do other jobs. Caesar says this is common and Hartford automatically re-evaluates claims at the two-year mark.
To win the appeal, Caesar got a Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) to get objective, measurable evidence of the client’s physical limitations – something Hartford didn’t do. He also got opinions from the treating doctors and hired a vocational expert to challenge Hartford’s flawed job assessments.
The disability insurance appeal was successful and benefits were reinstated. Insurers act unreasonably and ignore valid medical evidence. Having a legal team ensures the record is strong enough for the appeal and if necessary, for future litigation.