An Award-Winning Employee Culture at Unum Can’t Stop Lawsuits

Philadelphia, PAUnum Group, which calls Chattanooga home, may hold a place amongst the Top 500 employers in the US as ranked by Forbes. However, such lofty plaudits have not stopped a Unum lawsuit from a woman who claimed Unum insurance stopped her benefits without just cause.

The plaintiff in the case is Melissa Maiellano, who filed her Unum disability insurance lawsuit April 3 in US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Maiellano names Unum Life Insurance Company of America in her complaint.

According to Court documents Maiellano had to stop working in 2013 due to a disability and left her job. The nature of her disability was not disclosed. Nonetheless, Maiellano initially qualified for disability benefits through her long term disability policy with Unum disability and received benefits for a time, only to have those benefits later terminated.

Maiellano asserts in her Unum disability claims that Unum terminated her benefits due to Unum’s own assertions that her disability was due to behavioral issues, rather than physiological symptoms, or so it is alleged.

The plaintiff alleges breach of contract, and is seeking damages representing sixty percent of the plaintiff’s gross monthly salary together with interest, legal fees, court costs and any and all relief deemed appropriate by the Court.

The Unum lawsuit is Maiellano v. Unum Life Insurance Company of America, Case No. 2:17-cv-01496, filed April 3 of this year at Pennsylvania Eastern District Court, County of Philadelphia.

Unum Life Insurance Company of America, known variously as Unum Group, Unum Provident and First Unum, is a global leader in the supply and provision of life and disability insurance. However, like so many other insurance providers in the industry, Unum has suffered in the past from a reputation of unfairness with scores of lawsuits suggesting that Unum has acted in bad faith, stonewalling legitimate claims and denying benefits for deserving policyholders with just cause and in the absence of a contractual capacity to do so – or so it is alleged.

However, Unum has been working to improve its reputation by being more philanthropic amidst various claims and reports associated with Unum’s reputation as an employer. To that end, Unum was again included in the most recent listing of Top 500 employers across the country compiled and published by Forbes.

Unum, while again making the list, was lower down on the pole. Having made the Forbes list previously, Unum CEO Rick McKenney was quoted in the Times Free Press (05/12/17) as saying “We’re dedicated to building a dynamic and welcoming workplace that encourages collaboration and values every voice.”

Unum, with 9,400 employees, ranked 468 out of 500 on the Forbes list.