Schwaba Law Firm is investigating claims that Lincoln Financial Group have wrongly denied disability benefits through deceptive claims handling practices. By repeatedly denying they received correspondence from claimants, misplacing documents sent to them, and delaying reviews of claims, Lincoln Financial effectively denies proper disability claims where benefits should be awarded.
Lincoln Financial Group is one of the largest disability insurers in the United States, by premiums. Lincoln Financial acquired Liberty Mutual Insurance Company’s disability portfolio when they acquired Liberty Life Assurance Company of Boston effective in May, 2018. Lincoln Financial maintains its state of incorporation of Indiana, although its principal corporate offices are maintained in Radnor, Pennsylvania.
Short Term Disability benefits are usually provided to employees with their employment compensation package through their employer, usually at a cost taken out of an employee’s paycheck. Those benefits are meant to provide a means of subsistence when an injury occurs. Short term disability policies are meant to pay claims in the immediate aftermath of a sudden, severe injury that prevents the employee from returning to work. Without benefits, claimants struggle to pay bills, including their mortgage, car payment, and other household essentials, and can cause emotional trauma coupled with the physical trauma they have recently experienced. The delay in obtaining a decision on short-term disability causes further harm. Lincoln Financial maintains that decisions on short-term disability benefits are to be made within 1-30 days of the injury. The denial of short-term disability benefits is also often cited as a reason to deny long-term disability benefits.
Long Term Disability benefits are also usually provided as part of a total compensation package through employers. The benefits are meant to replace wages on a long term basis, from the exhaustion of short-term disability benefits to the age of retirement, but may be subject to reduction by Social Security disability benefits.
Lincoln Financial has a duty to act in good faith as it processes Short Term Disability and Long Term Disability claims. This means that they have a duty to adopt and implement reasonable standards for the investigation of claims, perform a reasonable investigation of claims, provide prompt payment of undisputed claims, provide a reasonable explanation of the basis in the policy for the denial of claims, and/or affirm or deny coverage for a claim within a reasonable time.
The Schwaba Law Firm can assist claimants who have experienced the wrongful denial of Short-Term Disability benefits. Those who have been wrongfully denied short-term disability benefits, or whose benefit eligibility determinations have been unnecessarily delayed, may have a claim.
There is no cost to you in contacting or discussing your claim with the Schwaba Law Firm. In the event you decide to retain Schwaba Law Firm as your counsel, the firm will only be paid in the event they are able to obtain a recovery on your behalf. In no event will you be asked to pay anything out-of-pocket. If you have experienced trouble with the manner in which Lincoln Financial Group has handled your disability claim, contact us at the numbers above.
