Illinois 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 Illinois, including the Chicago, Rockford, and Springfield 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 Illinois. If you would like to learn more about the disability claim process or insurance bad faith in other states, please visit our homepage.
Does Illinois Recognize Insurance Bad Faith?
The Supreme Court of Illinois has outlined that “an insurer’s conduct may give rise to both a breach of contract action and a separate and independent tort action.” Cramer v. Ins. Exch. Agency, 174 Ill. 2d 513, 527, 675 N.E.2d 897, 904 (1996) (internal citations omitted). That being said, “[m]ere allegations of bad faith or unreasonable and vexatious conduct, without more . . . do not constitute such a tort.” Id.
The Supreme Court of Illinois has further instructed that Illinois courts “should look beyond the legal theory asserted to the conduct forming the basis for the claim.” Id. However, “[i]n cases where a plaintiff actually alleges and proves the elements of a separate tort, a plaintiff may bring an independent tort action, such as common law fraud, for insurer misconduct.”
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 Illinois Disability Insurance Cases
Rahman v. Paul Revere Life Insurance Co., 684 F. Supp. 192 (N.D. Ill. 1988) (Illinois cardiologist whose practice focused on emergency cardiac care suffered a leg injury that prevented him from running to the bedside of patients during cardiac distress; Paul Revere/Unum refused to pay benefits but the court found that Rahman’s “‘regular’ occupation was the narrower position of an emergency cardiologist, instead of the broad field of cardiology in general” and dismissed as “irrelevant whether or not Dr. Rahman [was] able to do the duties of a general cardiologist”).
Heller v. Equitable Life Assurance Society, 833 F.2d 1253 (7th Cir. 1987) (Illinois invasive cardiologist suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome declined to undergo corrective surgery on his left hand; the court determined that the “regular care” provision did not grant Equitable Life the right to scrutinize or direct plaintiff’s treatment).
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?
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?
Illinois 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 Illinois, but there may be satellite courthouses that are closer to where you live.
Springfield. 151 U.S. Courthouse, 600 E. Monroe Street, Springfield, IL 62701.
Chicago. Everett McKinley Dirksen United States Courthouse, 219 S. Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL 60604.
Rockford. Stanley J. Roszkowski United States Courthouse, 327 S. Church Street, Rockford, IL 61101.
Benton. 301 W. Main Street, Benton, IL 62812.
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
Anesthesiologists | Attorneys | Cardiologists | Chief Medical Directors | Chiropractors | Commercial Real Estate Brokers | Corporate Executives | Emergency Medicine | Endodontists | Gastroenterologists | General Dentists | Gynecologists | Internal Medicine | Neurologists | Neurosurgeons | Obstetricians | Ophthalmologists | Oral Surgeons | Orthodontists | Orthopedic Surgeons | Otolaryngologists | Physical Therapists | Podiatrists | Professional Athletes | Prosthodontists | Psychiatrists | Psychologists | Pulmonologists | Radiation Oncologists | Radiologists | Rheumatologists | Veterinarians
Physician Claims & Resources | Dentist Claims & Resources
Disability Insurance Companies
Aetna | AIG | Allstate | Anthem | American General | Ameritas | Berkshire Insurance Group | Boston Mutual | Cigna/LINA | Colonial Life | Connecticut General | Davies Life & Health/Disability Management Services, Inc. | Disability Reinsurance Management | First Unum | Fortis | Great West | Guardian Life | Hartford | Jefferson | John Hancock | Liberty Mutual | Lloyd’s of London | Mass Casualty | Mass Mutual | MetLife | Monarch | Mutual of Omaha | National Life of Vermont | New York Life | New England Life | Northwestern Mutual Life | Ohio National | Paul Revere | Penn Mutual | Phoenix Life Insurance | Principal Life | Provident | Prudential | Reassurance America | Reliance | Reliance Standard | Sedgwick | Standard | Sun Life | The Equitable Life | Transamerica | Trustmark | Trustmark Disability Advisors | Union Central | Unum | UnumProvident
Disabling Conditions
Aneurysms | Anxiety/Panic Attacks | Angina Pectoris/Ischemia | Arthritis (Osteo, Psoriatic, Rheumatoid) | Atrial Fibrillation (AF) | Autoimmune Disorders | Bipolar Disorder | Brachial Plexus Injuries | Bulging Discs (Cervical/Lumbar) | Bursitis | Cancer | Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) | Cervical/Neck Pain | Crohn’s Disease/IBD | Complex Regional Pain Syndrome | Congestive Heart Failure | Coronary Artery Disease | Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) | Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) | Dislocated Elbow/Shoulder | Dislocated Hip/Hip Replacement | Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) | Essential Tremors | Focal Dystonia | Ganglion Cysts | Glaucoma | Hand/Arm Pain – NOS | Head Trauma/Cognitive Difficulties | Hearing Loss | Herniated Discs (Cervical/Lumbar) | Ligament Tears | Long-Haul COVID | Lumbar/Back Pain | Lyme Disease | Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) | Macular Degeneration | Meniere’s Disease | Migraines | Multiple Sclerosis (MS) | Musculoskeletal Disorders | Myasthenia Gravis (MG) | Myelopathy (Cervical/Lumbar) | Myofascial Pain Syndrome | Nerve Impingement/Entrapment | Neuroma | Orthostatic Hypertension/Hypotension | Osteoarthritis | Paresthesia/Dysesthesia | Parkinson’s Disease | Posterior Tibial Tendon Dysfunction | Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) | Posterior Tibial Tendon Dysfunction | Posterior Vitreous Detachment (PVD) | Radiculopathy (Cervical/Lumbar) | Repetitive Stress Injuries | Retinal Detachment/Floaters | Rotator Cuff Injury/Tears | Sciatica | Scoliosis | Serotonin Syndrome | Shoulder/Back/Neck Pain – NOS | Sleep Apnea | Spondylolisthesis | Spondylosis | Stenosis (Spinal/Foraminal) | Stroke | Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS) | Traumatic Injuries | Tumors | Ulnar Neuropathy | Vertigo/BPPV | Visual Impairment
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.