Principal Financial Group was founded more than 140 years ago and is the third-largest provider of group insurance benefits, including disability insurance, in the United States.
They also offer insurance and financial services in more than 80 countries worldwide.
A Fortune 500 company, Principal reported more than $14 billion in total revenue in 2018.
Principal is one of the world’s largest financial management and insurance companies and they didn’t get that way by graciously paying out worthy insurance claims.
Unfortunately, this means Principal takes an aggressive stance when evaluating disability insurance claims, especially those for long-term disability.
What Excuses Did Principal Use to Deny Your Claim?
Disability insurance companies like Principal deny claims for many reasons – both in error and by design.
Applications for disability are often written in such a way that answers to questions will solicit a denial.
Our team of Louisiana long-term disability lawyers will examine your case to reveal any wrongful denial on the part of Principal.
Principal and other insurance companies have a financial incentive to pay out as little as possible when you file a claim.
We anticipate every tactic the insurance company may use to delay, deny, or terminate your claim. With over 15 years of experience, we know what red flags to look out for, such as:
- Claiming your inability to work is for reasons not covered under your policy
- Alleging you did not provide adequate medical evidence
- Claiming they did not receive medical records
- Delays due to poor communication
- Refusing to provide your claim file and records to you
- Ignoring medical evidence that supports your claim
- Disregarding statements from your doctors that describe the severity of your limitations
- Delaying payments while taking months to schedule an Independent Medical Examination
- Delaying decisions on the claim until years of past medical records or excessive test results are received
- Intimidating you into saying the wrong thing or giving up
We GET IT DONE
Clients trust us to handle their case properly and effectively
FREE Confidential Case Review (985) 441-3448Am I Able to Appeal My Principal Long-Term Disability Denial?
It’s no secret that the majority of long-term disability (LTD) claims are denied the first time.
Fortunately, an insurance denial is not the end of your claim.
If Principal denies your LTD claim, you have every right to appeal their decision and fight for your long-term disability benefits.
Because ERISA governs employer-provided group disability insurance plans, you are required to exhaust Principal’s internal appeals process before you will be allowed to file a lawsuit in court.
Your denial letter will tell you why the company decided to deny your claim and will outline how you can file an appeal as well as the deadline for doing so.
In most cases, you will have only 180 days to appeal their decision. Don’t miss this deadline!
If you do, you will not be able to try to recover benefits for your disability from Principal in the future.
We DO THE RIGHT THING
The correct choice – always – is to do the right thing.
FREE Confidential Case Review (985) 441-3448Do You Really Need to Hire a Lawyer for Your Principal Appeal?
An experienced LTD attorney will go over your claim file and address any red flags one by one.
For example, if you were “caught” on surveillance, an experienced LTD attorney will best be able to explain to the insurance company that the 10 minutes you were filmed having a “good day” is not indicative of your disability as a whole.
They will also work with your doctors to make sure your medical records are complete and clearly describe and explain your disability and any limitations that you are experiencing.
In addition, your LTD lawyer will convey your inability to work by providing Principal with:
- Accurate job descriptions and information about work experience
- Statements from your employer
- Vocational expert reports
- Residual functional capacity reports
Making sure all of your medical records, forms, reports, and deadlines, are in order can be an exhaustive task, especially when a disability has taken so much away from you.
Your LTD lawyer will handle all of this for you so you can focus on healing.
The most common mistake that disabled claimants make is to represent themselves.
Long term disability claims can be a challenging, lengthy process to handle without assistance and legal advice from a knowledgeable attorney.
If you are facing the appeals process or are experiencing problems receiving your disability benefits, the best option for success is to hire a qualified disability insurance attorney.
An experienced disability lawyer will build a compelling enough case to get Principal to reverse their decision.
Your attorney will gather medical records and get statements from your doctor and employer regarding your disability and limitations.
They will communicate with the insurance company on your behalf and, if necessary, present your case in court.
If they still refuse your appeal, you may have to file a lawsuit, for which you will need a skilled disability attorney.
If your Principal long-term disability insurance claim was denied, you should contact an attorney as soon as possible.
We provide experienced, compassionate representation for policyholders whose Principal disability insurance claims were wrongfully denied, delayed, or terminated.
