Iowa Disability Insurance Claims

We are a healthcare/professional disability insurance law firm with a national reputation for obtaining successful results for our clients. Our firm has represented physicians, dentists, lawyers, executives and other professionals throughout the country, with the goal of securing and protecting their entitlement to benefits on own-occupation disability insurance policies.

We consult with physicians, dentists, attorneys and business executives filing disability claims throughout Iowa, including the Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and Davenport areas. If you’d like to discuss your particular claim with our attorneys, we are happy to set up a free consultation.

Below are some resources for policyholders filing disability insurance claims in Iowa. If you would like to learn more about the disability claim process or insurance bad faith in other states, please visit our homepage.

Does Iowa Recognize Insurance Bad Faith?

The Supreme Court of Iowa has explained that recognition of the tort of insurer bad faith was justified “by the nature of the contractual relationship between the insurer and insured.” De Dios v. Indem. Ins. Co. of N. Am., 927 N.W.2d 611, 616 (Iowa 2019), amended (May 14, 2019) (internal citations omitted).

More specifically, “insurance policies are contracts of adhesion” due to “the inherently unequal bargaining power between the insurer and insured, which persists throughout the parties’ relationship and becomes particularly acute when the insured sustains a physical injury or economic loss for which coverage is sought.” Id. Thus, “[r]ecognition of the first-party bad faith tort redresses this inequality.” Id.

Additionally, the Supreme Court of Iowa has instructed that “[t]o show a claim for bad faith, a plaintiff must show the absence of a reasonable basis for denying benefits of the policy and defendant’s knowledge or reckless disregard of the lack of a reasonable basis for denying the claim.” Id.

The case excerpts above are not meant to be a comprehensive discussion of each state’s first-party bad faith or disability insurance law. They are merely meant to act as a resource/starting point for those interested in learning more about how insurance bad faith works in their state.

You should always speak with an attorney before making any legal arguments relating to your disability claim.

Notable Iowa Disability Insurance Cases

Roehr v. Sun Life Assurance Co., No. 21-1559 (8th Cir. Dec. 27, 2021) (Iowa anesthesiologist who began experiencing tremors in his hands and fingers and filed a disability insurance claim; Sun Life paid benefits for ten years before terminating his claim; the court found that Sun Life’s denial was improper because it had not conducted an assessment performed by a neurologist/movement disorder specialist, even though their reviewing neurologist had recommended it, and that Sun Life had relied on “virtually the same medical records for a decade and has pointed to no information available to it that altered its previous decision to pay benefits”).

Bell v. Unum Life Ins. Co. of Am., No. 3-09-CV-00029-CFB (S.D. Iowa Aug. 17, 2010) (Iowa periodontist filed a disability claim with Unum due to a rotator cuff tear and ongoing shoulder pain and instability; Unum approved the claim but characterized the disability as “sickness” instead of “injury” to avoid payment of lifetime benefits; the court denied both parties for summary judgment, determining that factual questions remained, such as “whether the bodily injury [the periodontist] sustained was accidental, including whether the indications were strong enough to forewarn a reasonably prudent person that the results were highly likely to occur”).

Common Disability Claim Questions

What should I expect when filing a disability claim?

What issues am I most likely to face handling my disability insurance claim alone?

Why are disability insurance claims made by physicians, dentists and other professionals especially targeted for denial or termination?

My disability claim was just denied. What should I do now?

What can my insurance company do when it is investigating my claim?

Do insurance companies conduct surveillance and, if so, when are they watching?

Why does my insurer want to conduct a field interview?

How can I tell if I have a true own-occupation policy?

What are the different types of disability policies?

Iowa Federal District Court Locations

Professional disability claims are often filed in, or removed to, Federal Court given the amounts in controversy. When we work with local counsel to be admitted pro hac vice, we identify the courthouse that is closest to you. Below is a list of the primary Federal Courthouses in Iowa, but there may be satellite courthouses that are closer to where you live.

Cedar Rapids. 111 Seventh Avenue, S.E., Cedar Rapids, IA 52401.

Des Moines. 123 E. Walnut Street, Des Moines, IA 50309.

Davenport. 131 E. 4^th Street, Davenport, IA 52801.

Who Do Your Disability Insurance Attorneys Represent?

The lists below provide a representative overview of the types of professionals we represent, the disability companies we file claims with and litigate against, and a non-exhaustive list of some of the disabling conditions our prior clients have had.

Professionals

Physician Claims & Resources | Dentist Claims & Resources

Disability Insurance Companies

Disabling Conditions

The information provided above is offered purely for informational purposes. It is not intended to create or promote an attorney-client relationship, and does not constitute and should not be relied upon as legal advice.

Every claim is unique and the discussion above is only a limited summary of information that may be relevant to your claim. An experienced disability insurance attorney can help you assess your particular disability claim, or potential disability claim, and determine what options are available to you.

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