News Library

California Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi issues $8 million fine.
Disability Insurer Fined, to Reopen Thousands of Cases
Los Angeles Times, CA
By Peter G. Gosselin, Times Staff Writer

California insurance regulators today will announce that they are fining the nation's largest disability insurer...
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Insurer fined $8 million in claims investigation
Miami Herald, FL
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Boston Globe - United States
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San Francisco Chronicle
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Insurer deal is industry changer
Settlement sets new standards for disability claims
San Francisco Chronicle
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When Disaster Strikes, will your insurer come through for you?
San Francisco Chronicle Op Ed
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The Safety Net She Believed In Was Pulled Out When She Fell
By Peter G. Gosselin
Los Angeles Times

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Ray Bourhis Urges 47 States to Reject Unum Provident Settlement

She's Rich but Can't Feed the Children
by Alex Brown
The Examiner
Joan Hangarter was awarded $7.6 million by a federal jury in San Francisco on Monday. And she'll file for $230 in food stamps later this week.

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Disability Claim Denied!
Insurer is under fire for its roster of rejections - Business Week

When Disaster Strikes
By Christine Dugas, USA TODAY

Disability in Dispute

The pain shot from court reporter Susan McGregor's fingertips to her shoulder muscles. Years of rapid fire stenotyping were taking their toll as she recovered every word spoken in a Francisco courtroom.

The Wall Street Journal via Dow Jones
The Erisa Trap:
When Employees Can't Win
Workers Find Limited Rights To Sue Over Insurance Claims;
Pension Act `Turned on Its Head'

IN 1997, when Donya Anderson decided to deduct $7.36 a month from her paycheck to pay for disability-income insurance, she thought it was worth it for peace of mind.

State Insurance Watchdog Survives Agency Assault - Insurance Watchdog Hounded by Critics
A quarter-century ago, as he was contemplating a law practice that focused on suing insurance companies for mishandling claims, freshly minted attorney Ray Bourhis had a moment of doubt: Would there really be enough business to make a living?

Los Angeles Times
Insurer is Faulted for Claim Cutting
Lawyers say the insurer has been exploiting a federal law to deny disability benefits.

Nasty Business
A major insurer is defending itself against suits by angry workers whose benefits were terminated or reject. Plaintiffs' attorneys argue that the terminations of benefits are designed to boost company profits. At first, the plaintiffs were just individual policyholders. But now, lawyers are bringing the fight to employers whose workers are covered by the insurer's group policies.

60 Minutes/CBS Report
Did Insurer Cheat Disabled Clients?

If you’re one of the 50 million Americans who has money deducted from his or her paycheck to pay for disability insurance, or if you’ve purchased a disability policy on your own, you may think you’re covered if you’re injured or too sick to work. But don’t be too sure. Ed Bradley reports.

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CBS

What if your disability benefits
were suddenly cut off?
A Dateline NBC Investigation

After a disabling accident left John Montano paralyzed and unable to work or support his family, he relied on disability insurance he held through the nation's largest insurance provider to support his family. After 2 years he unexpectedly received notice that his benefits were being terminated...

"Sources tell Dateline that what happened to John Montano may have been part of something much larger. A dateline investigation into whether the largest disability carrier in the United States — Unum provident — launched a company-wide effort to cut costs aggressively, and in the process, unfairly denied benefits, selling out people it promised to protect."

The results of this Dateline report are shocking.
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Click here for transcripts of the report.

Hundreds sue largest disability insurer
Julie Appleby
USA Today

Joan Hangarter bought a disability policy in 1990 to protect her should she ever fall seriously ill. Yet, after becoming disabled, she and her children ended up on welfare when her insurer cut off her benefits.

Memo Highlights Intent To Use Law to Save Money
Wall Street Journal

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According to the Daily Journal,
California's Legal Newspaper:
'No courthouse is big enough to
hold San Francisco lawyer Ray Bourhis'
crusade against the insurance industry'

Insurer Fires Top Executive
By TERESA M. WALKER
Associated Press Writer

Crusading lawyers lead charge against insurer
MICHAEL LIEDTKE
Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO - Disability insurers have tangled with plenty of pesky lawyers in the last five years. Few, if any, have been as tenacious - or effective - as Ray Bourhis.

In the past two years, the San Francisco law firm has won a pair of seven-figure judgments against insurers and recently convinced a federal judge that the company's business practices broke California laws.

Former Policyholder
Takes Insurer to Task
Chiropractor's disability benefits were cut off by UnumProvident
By Lisa Girion, Times Staff Writer

On the eve of the birth of her first child 12 years ago, Joan Hangarter bought an insurance policy that would pay her a monthly benefit if a disability ever prevented her from working as a chiropractor.

When a painful joint condition forced her to quit her $100,000-a-year practice in 1997, she began collecting her $8,100-a-month disability benefit. But after 18 months, her insurance company...canceled her payments, declaring that she was no longer disabled.

Insurer's Tactics Rebuked
By Lisa Girion, Times Staff Writer

The nation's largest disability insurance firm is facing a flurry of lawsuits in California and across the country from policyholders who contend the insurer cheated them out of their disability payments in an aggressive campaign to boost profit.

Woman Vindicated in Disability Lawsuit
KRON

BAY AREA (KRON) -- There's vindication this week for a Marin County woman who months ago won a multi-million dollar award against the nation's largest disability insurer.

A U.S. District court judge this week upheld the $7.6 million dollar judgment against UnumProvident, an insurer that's been accused of systematically denying legitimate disability claims. In this case, it drove a single mother two who was too ill to work into homelessness.

SF Attorneys Say "Heads Should Roll At Highest Levels"

Ray Bourhis, the San Francisco attorney who won a major judgment and injunction against [ ] a Chattanooga-based firm "should stop blaming lawyers" and that some of its top executives need to be fired.

Federal Judge Finds Insurer Liable for Unfair Business Practices.
Affirms $7.7 Million Verdict

Federal Judge James Larson has ruled insurer liable for violating California Business and Professions Code Sec.17200 (Unfair Business Practices).

Disability insurer is under fire
Legitimate claims denied, suits say
The nation's largest disability insurance company has been accused of systematically denying legitimate claims from seriously ill customers, a corporate strategy allegedly concocted for one purpose...

Federal judge orders Insurer to clean up practices
A federal judge has ordered...

Federal Judge Issues Injunction Against Disability Insurance Giant
Federal Judge James Larson has ruled insurer liable for violating California Business and Professions Code Sec. 17200 (Unfair Business Practices).

Insurer under Fire as NBC's Dateline Introduces Startling Charges
Jason Hoppin
The Recorder
In Spite of Extensive Damage Control Efforts, Segment Aired As Lead Story on Sunday Night, Says Ray Bourhis...

PRESS DIGEST - Wall Street Journal
Reuters, 11.07.02, 1:08 AM ET
NEW YORK, Nov 7 (Reuters)

Insurer under scrutiny for the manner in which it handles claims. Georgia regulators and some employees say the nation's largest disability-income insurer is overzealous in denying claims.

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