MetLife Denied LTD Legal News Articles & Interviews

San Francisco, CA In one of the earliest decisions of 2019, the Ninth Circuit gave plaintiffs in long term denied disability lawsuits a new way to challenge benefit denial decisions. It may turn out to be significant.

Chicago, IL: Even though Angela tried to return to work after suffering from postpartum depression, her boss advised that she apply for long term disability with Hartford Health Insurance. But Hartford didn’t agree with Angela’s boss.

San Diego, CA Christopher Wheeler was a Coxswain/Diesel mechanic, a contractor doing heavy physical work for the U.S. Navy Fifth Fleet. On March 17, 2015, he was badly injured during a storm at sea off Bahrain. Hospitals and rehab landed him a computer job for which he had no aptitude or training. When that didn’t work out, his employer, Exelis, Inc. terminated his employment and Metropolitan Life Insurance (MetLife) denied his long term disability benefit application. He filed a long term denied disability lawsuit on August 2, 2018 in the Southern District of California. California’s de novo standard for the review of disability claims under ERISA may work to Wheeler’s benefit.

New York, NY Alexander Sigal was deeply depressed and, after a period of hospitalization, found himself unable to work as a computer programmer. Benefits under his employer’s MetLife long term disability plan were eventually terminated, and his administrative appeal was denied. His ensuing MetLife LTD lawsuit, however, revealed a fatal flaw in the denial of his appeal.