New Jersey Disability Lawyer Blog

Lower back pain should never be overlooked and can result in disability, especially if surgery fails to permit you to return to full function. We at Bonny G. Rafel review many claims associated with lower back conditions because if you cannot sit for many hours in a day performing your work related duties, you will…

Whether you have a desk job or perform manual labor, its vital to consider protecting your income with a disability insurance policy in case you become disabled from working. This is different from worker’s compensation coverage. In a recent article published in the Times Free Press, the author examines the “public-private partnership” between insurers and…

Many of our clients file for Social Security Disability benefits in addition to filing for employer sponsored private or group disability benefits. It remains unclear why some of our clients receive immediate approval of their claims, while others have to struggle through the appeals process. We have Social Security attorneys to refer our clients to…

Over the course of your working career, statistically, you may become disabled at some point before you retire. It is better to be prepared for this possibility rather than face financial ruin if your income evaporates. Recently in the New York Daily News article, the Social Security Administration states that there is a 25% chance…

Unum Group Corp. and its subsidiary, Paul Revere has once again been held liable for bad faith refusal to continue to pay disability benefits to its insured. Paul Revere issued the own occupation benefits to this dental hygienist in 1988 and promised to pay her disability benefits if she became unable to perform her specialty…

This year, we had the opportunity to help a trial attorney analyze his options and determine the best pathway for him to follow related to his employment and disability. He asked that we post this for our readers: “I am a service professional who recently retained Ms. Rafel’s firm after I suffered from a mental…

Each of us knows at least one person who suffers from migraines which often can be managed with medication. For those of you who do not know what it is like to experience a migraine, it is difficult to describe. In a New York Times article titled Migraine Miseries Push Patients to Ways of Coping,…

It is common for employers to include mandatory arbitration clauses in employment contracts offered to new employees. Sitting in the room with your new boss, it is difficult to resist signing the contract as presented. How can one reasonably “make waves” even before being hired? Of course employees feel they have no choice but to…

New Jersey joins Pennsylvania as a state in the Third Circuit and benefits when a PA case is successful before the Third Circuit. A case in point is Kosiba v. Merck & Co. which found that Unum acted arbitrarily and capriciously in denying benefits to a claimant suffering from fibromyalgia and sarcoidosis. Kosiba v. Merck…

Selective Review by Prudential faulted again by the Court.