Her Family Depended on Her Disability Benefits For Their Financial Well-Being
Joan was a healthy 56-year-old working as an Internal Financial Analyst at a consumer products company when she gravely injured her knee. She fell on ice during a snow storm. The knee injury lead caused complications including a herniated disc in her lower back. As a result of her injuries, she had very limited mobility and experienced chronic pain. These injuries incapacitated her and prevented her from performing her job duties which required extensive time sitting in front of a computer creating and analyzing financial projections.
Knee damage can result in chronic back pain. When adjusting to lessen pain, individuals tend to contort other parts of their body which may lead to other maladies. Since back muscles make frequent but small adjustments, change in posture can cause spasms and tension or just weaken the muscles which can lead to impairing back pain.
Her lower back pain symptoms included:
- Difficulty moving that impacted walking
- Pain that radiated to the groin, buttock and upper thigh
- Severe muscle spasms and soreness
Joan’s family depended on her income. When she finally realized, she could no longer work, she applied for long-term disability on her own and was awarded benefits from CIGNA, her insurer, and was also awarded Social Security Disability Benefits.
After one year CIGNA terminated Joan’s benefits as it insisted she could return to work despite no improvement in her health. The practice of discontinuing benefits by insurers is happening more and more frequently.
Joan was in a panic and contacted Jonathan Feigenbaum. Jonathan got to work, he gathered all of the medical documents and statements from treating Dr.’s, had Joan take medical evaluation tests that confirmed her disability and submitted a thorough appeal to CIGNA.
Joan’s benefits were reinstated; back benefits were paid and Jonathan continues to monitor her claim to make sure this doesn’t occur again. Joan can rest easy, focus on her health and know that her family will have the financial resources they need.
