Florida 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 Florida, including the Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa, and Orlando 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 Florida. If you would like to learn more about the disability claim process or insurance bad faith in other states, please visit our homepage.

Does Florida Recognize Insurance Bad Faith?

Florida recognizes bad faith claims as an important means to hold insurance companies accountable for bad actions. As explained by the Supreme Court of Florida, “[b]ad faith law was designed to protect insureds who have paid their premiums and who have fulfilled their contractual obligations by cooperating fully with the insurer in the resolution of claims.” Berges v. Infinity Ins. Co., 896 So. 2d 665, 682-83 (Fla. 2004). The insurer has an obligation to “act in good faith in the investigation, handling, and settling of claims brought against the insured” and bad faith “hold[s] insurers accountable for failing to fulfill their obligations.” 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 Florida Disability Insurance Cases

Parsley v. Great-West Life & Annuity Ins. Co., No. 22-60800-CIV-SINGHAL (S.D. Fla. June 29, 2022) (Florida dentist with end-stage kidney failure was denied benefits and later challenged the denial in court; the court determined that that Great-West’s final denial was the date of appeal denial and held that the lawsuit was not timely filed).

McPhee v. The Paul Revere Life Ins. Co., 883 So. 2d 364, (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2004) (chief executive office of a manufacturing company filed for disability; Paul Revere/Unum disputed whether he was “regularly engaged” in an occupation at the time of disability; the appellate court determined that the policy language was ambiguous and ruled in McPhee’s favor).

Paul Revere Life Ins. Co. v. Klock, 169 So. 2d 493 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1964) (dentist filed a disability claim and Paul Revere/Unum disputed whether he could recover business overhead expense (BOE) benefits; court determined that the dentist could not recover benefits for a timeframe that he had sublet his office to a physician).

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?

Florida Federal District Court Locations

Professional disability claims are often filed in, or removed to, Federal Court given the amounts in controversy. Below is a list of the primary Federal Courthouses in Florida, but there may be satellite courthouses that are closer to where you live.

Jacksonville. Bryan Simpson United States Courthouse, 300 N. Hogan Street, Jacksonville, FL 32202.

Orlando. George C. Young Federal Annex Courthouse, 401 W. Central Boulevard, Orlando, FL 32801.

Tampa. Sam M. Gibbons United States Courthouse, 801 N. Florida Avenue, Tampa, FL 33602.

Tallahassee. 111 N. Adams Street, Tallahassee, FL 32301.

Miami. Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. U.S. Courthouse, 400 N. Miami Avenue, Miami, FL 33128.

Fort Lauderdale. U.S. Federal Building and Courthouse, 299 E. Broward Boulevard, #108, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301.

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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