CBS News 60 Minutes segment, “Did Insurer Cheat Disabled Clients?”
In one recent case handled by our firm, a participant in a long-term disability (LTD) ERISA plan had become disabled at work in 1986, and received his benefits until he was denied by the insurance company in 1995. He did not appeal the denial, and was sued by the insurer in 2000 for an alleged overpayment and attorneys’ fees. Our firm successfully defended him on the federal lawsuit, and forced the insurer to pay attorney’s fees. We were unable to reverse the original denial of benefits due to the client’s delay in ascertaining his rights. In another case which we declined, a plan beneficiary divorced a participant in a corporate pension plan. Unfortunately, the beneficiary’s divorce attorney failed to properly notify the corporate employer to divide and segregate the divorced plan participant’s pension assets. When the divorced spouse retired and moved to Florida, she built her new home using the total retirement proceeds to the detriment of her former spouse and plan beneficiary. Con
