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Welcome!  The Info Library is an internet-based resource that addresses in one place your questions and concerns about disability benefits, disability insurers, your illness, your occupation, and filing a claim, appeal or litigation.  In other words, a "Wikipedia" for disability claims.  If you would like to automatically receive new posts, please subscribe below.

 

 

Category: Litigation

Riemer Obtains Landmark Victory Against UNUM Stripping UNUM’s Discretionary Authority to Determine Benefit Eligibility

Litigation News Insurers UNUM

On August 5, 2013, Riemer Hess won a landmark victory in McDonnell v. First Unum Life Ins. Co., 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 110361 (S.D.N.Y. August 5, 2013).
For a copy, click here: Download file

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Riemer Convinces Court to Award His Client $219,192 In Attorneys’ Fees and 9% Prejudgment Interest

Litigation News Success Stories Insurers Sun Life Attorneys Fees Prejudgment Interest

On July 24, 2013, Riemer Hess prevailed in a long-standing dispute over attorneys’ fees in Levitian v. Sun Life and Health Insurance Company (U.S.), 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 105686 (S.D.N.Y. July 24, 2013).

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Riemer Obtains Important Victory Against Prudential Holding Insurers More Accountable

Litigation News Success Stories Insurers SPD Prudential

On August 28, 2012, the federal court in Manhattan held that de novo is the appropriate standard of judicial review for New York disability lawyer insurance claims denied by Prudential Insurance Company. This ruling is the first of its kind within the Second Circuit. The decision effectively makes it more difficult for Prudential to deny valid disability claims brought by disabled individuals in New York.

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Riemer Convinces Court to Award his client $180,466 in Attorney Fees

Litigation News Success Stories Insurers Attorneys Fees CIGNA

On August 5, 2009, the Federal District Court in New York City ordered INA Life Insurance Company of New York, a subsidiary of CIGNA, to pay our client $180,466.60 in attorney fees. This award follows a battle for long term Attorney Lawyer New York disability benefits, where the Court found that CIGNA's denial of long term disability benefits was arbitrary and capricious.

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Riemer Convinces Court to Award Wide-Ranging Discovery against Hartford

Litigation News Insurers Hartford Discovery

In Jacoby v. Hartford, 254 F.R.D. 477 (S.D.N.Y. 2009), the Federal District in New York City ordered Hartford to produce thousands of pages of documents pertaining to Hartford’s inherent conflict of interest. Rejecting Hartford’s claims of confidentiality and burdensomeness, the Court ordered Hartford to respond to plaintiff’s interrogatories and document demands, including the full production of Hartford’s BMS Claims Manual and SIU Reference Manual. The Court also rejected Hartford’s claim that documents held by its consulting firms Medical Advisory Group and University Disability Consortium were not within its “possession, custody or control.”
This decision is a valuable precedent because it provides a possible solution to the dilemma of being whipsawed between the insurance company and its consultants. When seeking documents, each entity claims that the other has the sole duty of producing the requested documents. In this case, the Court rejected Hartford's assertion that the documents held by its consultants, Medical Advisory Group and University Disability Consortium were outside Hartford's control. The Court ordered Hartford to use its influence with its consultants to obtain the requested documents. The Court held:

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