An ex-attorney from Hogan Lovells LLP, grappling with fibromyalgia, recently faced defeat in her lawsuit seeking long-term disability benefits from Unum Life Insurance Co. of America.
The attorney, Kelly Balkin, lodged the lawsuit in 2021 under the US District Court for the District of Maryland. Balkin claimed that Unum incorrectly handled her benefits claim, leading to her denied due benefits. Her work as a corporate lawyer, routinely demanding 12-hour workdays, became untenable due to her chronic health condition.
However, in her ruling on March 29, 2024, Magistrate Judge Gina L. Simms determined that Unum’s approach to Balkin’s benefits claim was appropriate. This determination was derived from their council with four different physicians and two vocational reviews that thoroughly analysed her capacity to perform her job functions.
Simms ruled that there was substantial evidence supporting Unum’s consideration of all significant aspects of Balkin’s claim, including her subjective accounts of pain.
Further details about the lawsuit can be found in the original article on Bloomberg Law.