Good Morning America

As the Good Morning America story showed, though Mr. Tucker and his attorneys ultimately obtained a favorable outcome, the process took a financial and emotional toll on Mr. Tucker and his family. Like many claimants, unaware of their rights, the unreasonable delay and lack of communication from the insurance carrier was not only frustrating, but terrifying. For months, Mr. Tucker simply did not know how his family would survive financially if Standard failed to pay his claim or denied his claim altogether. However, Mr. Tucker is one of the fortunate ones.

When Disability Insurance Law Group obtained Standard's file, it was revealed that Standard was not just unreasonably delaying a claim decision, but also appeared to be preparing to deny his claim based solely on the medical records review of its hired physician. A denial would have certainly prolonged the outcome and caused Mr. Tucker and his family further emotional suffering and financial hardship, as he would have been required under ERISA to complete the administrative appeals process with Standard before ever being permitted to pursue a lawsuit. Since Mr. Tucker's story aired, Good Morning America has been inundated with stories from claimants who have endured similar insurance company tactics. Many have abandoned their claims, and others, unaware of how to navigate this complicated area of the law, have fatally damaged their claims and can no longer seek benefits.