A woman living in Melbourne, Florida, suffered from severe hand disabilities that prevented her from working. When Hartford canceled her long-term disability benefits early, despite her not showing any signs of physical improvement, she came to Dabdoub Law Firm for help. Attorney Emily Quirino took the lead on the case and compelled Hartford to reinstate the benefits before starting litigation.
Details of the Hand Disability Case
Our client fell and landed on her right hand. The injury resulted in debilitating pain that stopped her from doing any work in her occupation. Soon after the fall, she underwent the first of four hand surgeries to try to reduce the chronic pain and restore mobility and dexterity in her hand, but ultimately, none of the surgeries would be a great success. Even with additional sessions of physical therapy and specialized injections, she couldn’t work due to the constant pain.
She was diagnosed with several health complications, including:
- Dupuytren’s contracture
- Trigger finger
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Chronic regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
About six months after the painful fall, Hartford approved her long-term disability claim. Yet it would later terminate those benefits early after determining that she could complete light-duty work. The problem was that she showed no signs of appreciable physical improvement, so how did Hartford reach that conclusion?
Challenging Hartford & Reaching Success
Attorney Quirino helped our client challenge Hartford’s termination of the much-needed LTD benefits. She began by reviewing the requirements of the woman’s previous occupation, which was a retail mortgage loan originator. In addition to extensive keyboarding (which calls for manual dexterity in both hands), she had to frequently travel to meet clients and coworkers, work various forms of office equipment, and work long hours.
A functionality assessment that involved a Work Simulation Evaluation was conducted to learn more about her disability. The conclusion stated that she “is unable to return to work […] due to inability to manipulate a mouse, computer, and type with increased time and short rest breaks in between. Patient demonstrates discomfort when performing prolonged repetitive use of hand manipulation and coordination […] for more than 5 minutes […].” It also noted that she had great difficulty grasping and carrying even somewhat light objects.
Given that virtually every sedentary job in today’s digital age requires frequent computer use, Attorney Quirino argued that our client’s ongoing hand disability prevented her from holding any gainful employment. With our challenge letter received, Hartford conceded and agreed to reinstate the benefits without the need for a legal fight before the court.
Lawyers with Expertise in Disability Insurance Claims
This law firm has always focused only on disability insurance law. Because we specialize in long-term disability, our clients get the benefit of:
- Having an attorney who is an expert in long-term disability claims;
- Having an attorney who has experience with every major disability insurance company; and
- Being backed by a law firm that has a proven track record of winning tough disability lawsuits.
Call the Dabdoub Law Firm to get experienced disability lawyers on your side. We can help with:
- Submitting a disability insurance claim;
- Appealing a long-term disability denial;
- Negotiating a lump-sum settlement; or
- Filing a lawsuit against your disability insurance company.
The firm represents clients nationwide with disability claims governed by federal law, even if we are not located in your state.
Call (800) 969-0488 or contact us online to speak with an experienced disability attorney. Pay no fees or costs unless you get paid.