We were in the middle of appealing a denied long-term disability insurance claim for our client “Jane,” a hospice nurse, when her husband “Tim” received this letter: “Dear [Husband Tim]: Please accept our sincerest condolences regarding the death of [Jane]. We received notification that they passed away … This letter is regarding his/her outstanding overpayment with Lincoln National Life, in the amount of $2,576.64 … Please remit payment of $2,576.64, payable to Lincoln National Life.” Denied, Declared Dead The Roller Coaster Ride of a Ho
Anyone robbing a house must know they’re getting into a dangerous situation. But the teenager who burgled Adam Pearl’s Meridian, Idaho, home had no idea what consequences were in store. Many homeowners have a guard dog, but Pearl got his home security from Joey, his pet squirrel. One day in 2017, Pearl came home and saw that something seemed amiss. Joey was excited, and the doors he’d left closed were now open. After finding scratches on the lock of his gun safe, Pearl knew there’d been a robbery and called the police. Officer Ashley Turner couldn’t help but notice Joey’s presence in the house but didn’t believe he was connected with the case — at first. A few hours later, Turner returned to Pearl’s house with his missing belongings and a story to tell. She’d partially identified the perpetrator by the suspicious scratches on his hands. During questioning, Turner said the burglar confessed to the home invasion and explained why he’d left sooner than intended: Joey attacked while he was attempting to break into the gun safe. Unsurprisingly, the rodent’s violence was frightening. “He wasn’t expecting to have, you know, a squirrel come flying out of nowhere at him,” Officer Turner said. The thief reported that leaving was the only way to stop Joey’s aggression. After learning of his bravery, Pearl rewarded Joey with his favorite candy, Whoppers. But he then had a difficult choice ahead. When Joey was still a tiny baby, Pearl and his wife had taken in the abandoned squirrel. They had intended to release Joey back into the wild when spring came, but they were no longer sure. Ultimately, they let Joey decide. After he started playing with other squirrels through the home’s sliding glass door, the Pearls installed a cat door so he could come and go as he pleased. Joey spent several weeks outdoors with other squirrels by day and returned to the Pearls by night. Eventually, he requested one final scratch behind the ears before disappearing into an apple tree and leaving the Pearls’ house behind forever. THE GUARD SQUIRREL WHO WENT NUTS ON A BURGLAR
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To which we replied:
“This is to advise that [Jane] is NOT DECEASED. Accordingly, we ask that all communications regarding this claim be directed through our office. Additionally, we would ask that you please provide the source of the erroneous death notice as well as confirmation that [Jane’s] appeal review has not been interrupted.”
Lincoln never gave us an explanation. We continued building her appeal.
Jane worked with horrible pain for years until her fibromyalgia, Type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis, and other ailments made it impossible to continue. She loved her work helping terminal patients and their families and hated to give it up.
Jane’s treating physicians told her she was unable to continue working. But Lincoln ignored their opinions and denied her claim for
Does your office turn away calls about “long-term disability insurance” claim denials because you don’t handle administrative appeals or “ERISA litigation” in federal court? We want to hear from you! We happily share fees on referred ERISA long- term disability, life insurance, and accidental death insurance denial cases. Send us an email at BriefRecess@jpricemcnamara.com or call (225) 201-8311 to start the referral process! ERISA is all we do! WE VALUE YOUR REFERRALS!
Though Joey returned to the great outdoors to live with his kind, his legend is a warning to humans. When you break into someone’s home, you never know what you might find. WinMyBenefits.com 2
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