• Busse v. UNUM Provident, et al., 98 L 11983, successfully represented a permanently disabled anesthesiologist in a substantial claim against his disability insurance carrier. The Defendant carrier came to national prominence concerning its business. The Defendant was the subject of numerous high profile stories about this international corporation and its refusal to pay claims. Individuals insured by the company had little success in collecting money directly or through the result of lawsuits from the Defendant carrier. Prior to trial in an interlocutory appeal to the Illinois Appellate Court we obtained a landmark decision that assisted us in successfully resolving this case. The carrier claimed that the policy benefits were to be determined on a month to month basis. The Appellate Court decision allowed us to be able to prove that the doctor's injury was permanent and once that determination is made by the jury it cannot be subjected to the review of the carrier to disallow benefits. The decision also allowed for the presentation of evidence demonstrating bad faith by the carrier to the jury. The case settled at trial.
Resolved 2004
• Abreu v. National Benefit Life, 91 L 1305, obtained a substantial jury verdict under a life insurance policy. The Defendant claimed that the Plaintiff had falsified his application and not disclosed a serious preexisting heart condition and they refused to pay. We successfully contended that the Defendant carrier had convinced Plaintiff to abandon his incontestable policy and replace that policy without giving him adequate information about what the replacement would do. The insured had a massive heart attack a week prior to the time frame in which the new policy's incontestability provision would go into effect. We successfully argued that they got him to abandon a policy that had no contestability for one they could contest.
Resolved 1994