The Disability Claims Denial Attorneys at Marc Whitehead & Associates have successfully represented numerous The Hartford policyholders all over the U.S. in their disputes with the insurance company over unjust denials and terminations of disability benefits.
The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. was founded in 1810 and is one of the world’s oldest and largest providers of group and employee benefits, life insurance, business insurance, auto and homeowners insurance. A Fortune 500 company, The Hartford is ranked No. 1 in fully insured disability sales and the No. 2 group life and disability insurer. According to their website, The Hartford’s 2018 revenues totaled $19 billion.
In recent years, The Hartford has greatly expanded its group benefits business, including the acquisition of CNA’s group disability business, as well as CNA’s group life and accident services, in 2004.
A Look at The Hartford’s Process for Denying Disability Claims
Unfortunately, a lot of policyholders who have purchased one of The Hartford’s group disability plans through their employers often experience difficulties, delays and denials when they file a claim for long or short term disability benefits:
- Claimants are faced with continuing requests for medical records, followed by unreasonable delays on the part of The Hartford to make a decision.
- Policyholders frequently allege that The Hartford resorts to surveillance and other invasive investigations in order to capture claimants in actions that could in some way be used to substantiate The Hartford disability claims denial or termination of benefits.
- Disputes are common with allegations that The Hartford uses physicians paid by The Hartford to review and evaluate a claimant’s medical records; allegations against The Hartford also state the company uses adjusters to take the statements of disability victims in a manner unbeneficial to the victim.
Many federal lawsuits have been filed throughout the United States allege wrongful conduct by this insurance company in their handling of disability claims. Marc Whitehead & Associates has acted on behalf of several The Hartford policyholders who have been forced to file suit against the company in federal court to get the benefits they were owed.
What to Do if Hartford Denies My Claim
Hartford’s denial of your disability claim is usually not the end of the process. You can appeal the denial directly to Hartford. Further, suppose your employer paid for your private disability insurance policy as a benefit of your job. In that case, you could file a lawsuit under the Employment Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) if the company continues to deny your claim.
However, if you do not carefully follow the appeals process or your appeal is missing anything, your opportunity to reverse their denial by filing a lawsuit will be limited. The rules and procedures for filing a subsequent ERISA lawsuit preclude you from adding new evidence to your case.
You can best lay the groundwork for a successful appeal by retaining an experienced attorney to manage it. This should be done as soon as possible after you receive written notice that Hartford has denied your claim. You have limited time to initiate the appeal process. Any delay in hiring a lawyer or filing your appeal may harm your ability to recover short or long-term disability benefits under your Hartford policy.
Get Help from an Experienced The Hartford Disability Claims Lawyer
The Hartford’s group (employer-provided) short term and long term disability insurance are governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, also known as ERISA. Among other things, ERISA gives policyholders the right to appeal a decision to deny disability benefits by The Hartford or other insurers.
Among other services, your Hartford disability benefits lawyer will:
- Review the denial notice you received from Hartford to determine the exact reasons for the denial.
- Assess the documents, medical reports, and other evidence submitted to verify your disability claim.
- Analyze your insurance policy, including its definition of “disability,” to confirm that it is within the policy’s definition. In addition, calculate the amount of benefit payments that you are owed.
- Order additional medical examinations from independent physicians and gather statements from coworkers, family members, and friends to attest to the limitations caused by your disability.
- Prepare and file your administrative appeal with Hartford within the applicable time limits.
- If all administrative appeals fail, draft, and file a lawsuit in the appropriate federal or state court to pursue your contractually guaranteed disability payments.
Disability insurance policies are complex legal agreements with industry-specific language. Hartford often falls back on that language to justify the denial of a claim. If you appeal the denial of your claim without a lawyer’s help, you will be up against Hartford’s internal team of claims review agents. They have substantial knowledge and experience with disability policy provisions.
When Hartford denies your claim, you can improve your odds of filing a successful appeal when you hire an attorney whose knowledge of and experience with Hartford are on par with the company’s internal claims review personnel.
Don’t let the stress of The Hartford’s disability claims process discourage you from getting the benefits you deserve and paid for. That’s what they want! Before you give up, call Marc Whitehead & Associates at 800-562-9830 to schedule a consultation with a one of our The Hartford disability claims attorneys. We’re prepared to fight on your behalf, even if it means taking The Hartford to Federal Court.