Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island, including the Providence area. 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 Rhode Island. If you would like to learn more about the disability claim process or insurance bad faith in other states, please visit our homepage.

Does Rhode Island Recognize Insurance Bad Faith?

Rhode Island recognizes bad faith, but there are some limitations. As explained by the Supreme Court of Rhode Island, “no action in bad faith can lie unless and until an insured has proven a breach of the insurance contract.”

Atmed Treatment Ctr., Inc. v. Travelers Indem. Co., 285 A.3d 352, 366 (R.I. 2022) (internal citations omitted).

Additionally, the Supreme Court of Rhode Island has held that “inherent in every insurance contract is an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing that places on insurers, ‘an implied obligation to promptly and fully respond to their insured, to investigate a claim and to subject that claim to appropriate review.’” 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 Rhode Island Disability Insurance Claims

Francis v. Am. Bankers Life Assur. Co. of Fla., 861 A.2d 1040 (R.I. 2004) (Rhode Island teacher filed a disability claim after suffering a neck injury and a leg injury in a car accident; the disability company claimed the policy had an exclusion and did not cover “any loss caused by or resulting from any injury to or disorders of the back or spine including treatment therefore and complications thereof”; the policyholder represented herself without a disability attorney, disputed that she received a copy of the exclusion prior to filing the disability claim, and claimed that the insurance company had committed fraud; the court determined that she was not disabled under the policy and that the lower court properly denied her request for a new trial).

Guardian Life Ins. Co. of Am. v. Tillinghast, 512 A.2d 855 (R.I. 1986) (Rhode Island policyholder challenged Guardian’s decision to rescind and void his policy for misstatements in the policy application; the policyholder stated on the application that he had no history of “chest pain or discomfort” or “disorder of the heart or blood vessels”; however, Guardian found a hospital record from a year prior to the application stating that the policyholder had be admitted complaining of “chest pain”; the court determined that sufficient evidence support rescission of the disability insurance policy).

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?

Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island, but there may be satellite courthouses that are closer to where you live.

Providence. One Exchange Terrace, Providence, RI 02903.

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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