NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED. CHICAGO STRONG. LONG TERM DISABILITY FIRM
Bartolic Law handles Long Term Disability cases at all stages, from filing a claim to lawsuits under ERISA § 502(a). We are who the most discerning clients hire when an insurer denies their claim, and the one they wish they had when another firm loses their appeal and abandons the case. We are Innovative, Authentic, Compassionate, Transparent and Chicago strong. Bartolic Law is nationally renowned for our Innovative work:
Bartolic Law has the experience of turning Principal long-term disability insurance denials into payments to clients. Once, our client was a sales representative experiencing signs of early-onset dementia. Getting such a claim approved is critical because of the general inability to become insured under another policy. We portrayed our client in a respectful way that still highlighted her cognitive decline, utilizing witness accounts from family members regarding daily observations and precautionary measures taken, resulting in a paid claim. Another time, we helped a sales manager suffering from agoraphobia demonstrate the client’s disability through the use of video interview in the client’s home, showcasing the client’s reactions to attempts to walk outside. We recognized where medical records leave gaps in proving disability, and helped the client continue living a dignified life while disabled. In another case, our client suffered from lumbar spine deformities. Principal denied the claim because of statements made by the client about sitting for a specified duration. We obtained photos of a living room reclining chair that permitted the client to sit for the stated duration, and demonstrated the client’s inability to meet the same duration in a work environment.
Principal Financial Group
Principal Financial Group is a large insurance company that also provides financial services. It insures group long-term disability insurance policies, enforced under ERISA § 502(a). Principal is also one of the few remaining insurers to underwrite individual disability insurance policies, frequently purchased by physicians, dentists, and lawyers. Many of Principal’s policies have a static “Own Occupation” disability definition, leaving you with only one definition to meet. Their individual disability insurance policies also have favorable “residual disability” definitions, when you work through disability, and cannot earn as much as before. Many professionals employed at firms may supplement their group-long term disability policies with an individual policy from Principal, as the policy maximums on group policies reach maximums insufficient to protect enough of the professional’s income.
Principal also underwrites business overhead insurance policies, which pay additional benefits to the business in the event of the owner’s disability, helping keep your business a going concern as you get back on your feet. Principal’s policy features and connection to professional associations make it a popular insurer for service providers.
You can rest assured Bartolic Law understands how Principal policies are structured, as the owner of Bartolic Law has a Principal long-term disability policy as well. Even if you do not have a disputed claim, Bartolic Law has consulted professionals on their rights in the event of disability or the residual disability features of their policies.
SUCCESSES
Ferrin v. Aetna Life INS. CO.
Ferrin v. Aetna Life Ins. Co., 336 F. Supp. 3d 910 (N.D. Ill. Sept. 28, 2018) (holding insurance policy’s grant of discretionary authority is void under Texas law due to certificate being issued after effective date of regulation, and policy renewing after effective date, and holding Plaintiff was disabled from Any Reasonable Occupation where treating doctors certify she can sit at the occasional level, and insurer’s consultants opine Plaintiff can sit frequently, as weighing all evidence together would make capacity likely at low end of frequent range at best).