PROVEN LAWSUIT RESULTS

Financial Analysis Manager - Hastings, MN

Depression

“Depression rendered a 56-year old woman incapable of performing her job as a Financial Analysis Manager. Her job required a high degree of critical thinking and organizational skills. The woman’s treating psychologist told The Standard that the woman was not capable of performing her job duties, but The Standard ignored the doctor and refused to pay the woman her short-term disability benefits.

The woman turned to Fields Disability for help. Our team assembled an appeal in which we argued that our client’s treating doctors’ opinions were more credible than the doctor that The Standard hired to opine that our client was not disabled. In the end, The Standard was forced to overturn their previous denial of benefits and the woman received payments dating back several months.”

Custodian - Lake Lillian, MN

Bilateral Knee Problems

“The insurance company took away benefits from a disabled custodian who worked at public school. The man suffered from bilateral knee problems. He injured both of his knees when he fell on ice. The insurance company argued that the custodian was able to perform a sedentary or light job, and therefore, was not entitled to benefits. It based its decision on results of a functional capacity evaluation that was never even conducted.

The man retained Fields Disability to represent him in appealing the erroneous decision. Our team prepared an appeal by gathering evidence to show that the man is precluded from performing the substantial and material duties of any job. This meant obtaining support from his doctors and a vocational expert. We were successful in our appeal and the man was awarded his benefits. He was relieved knowing that he had financial security despite his inability to work.”

Child Support Officer - Isanti, MN

Lower Extremity Lymphedema

“A woman who worked as a Child Support Officer for her local county was denied disability benefits after becoming unable to work due to her battle with lower extremity lymphedema. This condition caused severe swelling in her legs that affected her gait and her ability to balance, which caused her to fall frequently. The woman also suffered from depression and had significant cognitive impairments, including memory problems and inability to concentrate.

She was confused and distraught about the denial of her benefits. The woman knew she needed to appeal the denial but her insurance policy was complex and she was unsure of the process. The attorneys at Fields Disability helped the woman with her case from beginning to end. We reached out to three of our client’s treating physicians to get the information needed to reverse the insurance company’s denial. Our client found peace in knowing that she would not have to worry about paying her bills.”

Retail Assistant Manager - New Albin, IA

Hip Pain, Degenerative Disc Disease, Spondylosis

“An assistant manager from Iowa had back and hip pain. Her job in a retail store required constant walking, bending, and lifting, so she was forced to stop working. She initially received long-term disability benefits, but after a few months she was sent a letter explaining that benefits would stop because she no longer met their definition of disabled.

Upset at her sudden loss of income, she called Fields Disability for help appealing the insurer’s decision. The attorneys at Fields Disability contacted our client’s doctors to compile reports of all of her symptoms and treatments. The insurance company hired their own independent doctor to review the case, and denied the appeal.

Our attorneys filed a lawsuit against the insurance company in federal court to fight for our client. During preparation for trial, Fields Disability attorneys were able to negotiate a generous lump-sum settlement for our client. She was overjoyed with the resolution of her case.”

Hospital Technician - Ooltewah, TN

Chronic Cervical Spine, Neck Pain

“A hospital technician for a large healthcare provider suffered from chronic cervical spine and neck pain that radiated down her arms into her fingers, causing tingling and numbness. The insurance company discontinued her benefits alleging that she no longer met the definition of disability under her policy and was not entitled to benefits. The insurance company based its decision to discontinue benefits on a report from an Independent Medical Examination. The technician came to Fields Disability to challenge the insurance company’s decision.

Our team gathered evidence to show that our client continued to meet the definition of disability and her condition had not improved since she was originally awarded benefits. The Independent Medical Examination report that the insurance company relied on misstated, ignored, and selectively cited the substantial medical evidence in the file that supported our client’s disability. We argued that the insurance company had actually breached its fiduciary duty to our client in denying her benefits. Our team eventually filed a lawsuit in federal court on behalf of our client. We successfully settled the case for an amount that put our client at ease, knowing that she would have financial security despite her disabling condition.”