Texas 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 Texas, including the Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio 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 Texas. If you would like to learn more about the disability claim process or insurance bad faith in other states, please visit our homepage.
Does Texas Recognize Insurance Bad Faith?
Texas recognizes that insurers owe a duty of good faith and fair dealing to their insureds. As explained by the Texas Supreme Court, “[a]n insurer breaches its duty of good faith and fair dealing when ‘the insurer had no reasonable basis for denying or delaying payment of [a] claim, and [the insurer] knew or should have known that fact.’” Universe Life Ins. Co. v. Giles, 950 S.W.2d 48, 50-51 (Tex. 1997) (internal citations omitted).
The Texas Supreme Court has also recognized that “[t]he consequences of a covered loss on the insured and the insurer are often dramatically different” because “[p]eople generally buy insurance to protect against risks that they cannot easily afford to pay.” Id. at 52. As a result, “[w]hen an insurer unreasonably denies a claim, an insured who has suffered a loss that should rightfully be covered may reluctantly choose to drop the claim rather than suffer the emotional and financial burden of litigation.” Id.
Because of this, the Texas Supreme Court has “imposed [this] tort duty recognizing that insureds who encounter losses they believe to be covered will often be particularly vulnerable to an insurer’s arbitrary or unscrupulous conduct.” 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 Texas Disability Insurance Cases
Provident Life & Acc. Ins. Co. v. Knott, 128 S.W.3d 211 (Tex. 2003) (Texas OB/GYN filed a total disability claim with Provident Life/Unum after suffering a spine fracture in a plane crash and undergoing a thoracolumbar fusion; after the surgery Dr. Knott began working part-time conducting pelvic exams, providing consulting services to other physicians, and performing administrative duties; Provident Life initially issued a check, but then determined that he had not satisfied the elimination period due to the return to work and demanded that Dr. Knott repay the benefits to Provident Life; Dr. Knott negotiated payment of residual disability benefits instead of total disability; Provident Life paid him partial benefits for six years and cut off benefits completely six years later; benefits were later restated for 24 months but then Provident Life asserted it had paid out the max benefits under the policy; Dr. Knott asserted he was entitled to lifetime benefits but the court determined that he was only partially, not totally disabled, was not entitled to lifetime benefits, and that his other claims against Unum were barred by the applicable statute of limitations).
Standard Acc. Ins. Co. v. Brock, 1 S.W.2d 678 (Tex. Civ. App. 1928), writ dismissed w.o.j. (May 23, 1928) (Texas businessman filed for disability due to an infection in his jawbone, and related complications, following a dentist extracting one of his teeth; the businessman attempted a return to work, but was unable to sustain it for more than a week; the court determined that he was totally incapacitated for the timeframe in question).
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?
Texas 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 Texas, but there may be satellite courthouses that are closer to where you live.
Dallas. 1100 Commerce Street, Dallas, TX 75242.
Forth Worth. 501 W. 10th Street, Unit 310, Forth Worth, TX 76102.
Houston. 515 Rusk Street, Houston, TX 77002.
Corpus Christi. 1133 N. Shoreline Boulevard, Corpus Christi, TX 78401.
San Antonio. 262 W. Neuva Street, Room 1-400, San Antonio, TX 78207.
Austin. 501 W. 5th Street, Suite 1100, Austin, TX 78701.
El Paso. 525 Magoffin Avenue, Suite 105, El Paso, TX 79901.
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.