A Tale of Two Long Term Disability Denied Lawsuits

Houston, TXDerek Williams has a bone to pick with Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. (MetLife), and as do a number of others in his position, he’s doing his picking in the court of law. Williams, a client of MetLife through his employer, accuses the insurer of denying long term disability benefits to which he is entitled and has launched a Long term denied disability lawsuit.

According to the West Virginia Record (2/19/16), Williams suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depression. The plaintiff’s last day on the job with Alpha Natural Resources coincided with his application for disability benefits from MetLife, on August 17, 2012. Williams initially received short-term benefits, only to be denied additional benefits in June of the following year.

Williams successfully appealed, with MetLife reversing its denial of additional short-term benefits and subsequently advancing further benefits to the plaintiff.

But the story doesn’t end there. The plaintiff’s Wrongly Denied Disability Claims extend to a denial of long-term benefits, in spite of having met all requirements mandated by the insurer, and in spite of expert medical opinion duly provided by his doctors.

Last month, Williams filed a bad faith insurance lawsuit in US District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia at Charleston (Derek Williams v. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. et al, Case No. 2:16-cv-01283).

Meanwhile, the Southeast Texas Record (1/6/16) reports on a similar long term disability denied lawsuit filed by a computer engineer from Houston. The defendant in this case is Life Insurance Company of North America.

According to court documents, plaintiff Wilfred Brasseur, a computer engineer, filed a claim in 2014 for long term disability benefits based on work-related depression and anxiety. Brasseur’s psychiatrist recommended both treatment and counseling for his patient, supporting the plaintiff’s claim for benefits. However, on May 22, 2014 - a month after Brasseur’s application for benefits - his claim was denied.

Brasseur filed his lawsuit alleging wrongly denied disability claims December 8 of last year in US District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division (Wilfred Brasseur v. Life Insurance Company of North America, Case No. 4:15-cv-03570).

Both plaintiffs seek payment of benefits in accordance with what is contractually their due, together with interest, legal fees and court costs.