Judge Certifies Class Action Against Disability Insurer

A federal court in Chattanooga, Tenn., is letting lawyers form a class of lawsuit plaintiffs that could include as many as 6,200 group long-term disability insurance claimants.

U.S. District Judge Curtis Collier has issued an order granting a motion for class certification filed on behalf of Theresa Keir and 6 other plaintiffs who have filed suits alleging that units of Unum, Chattanooga, have violated the Employee Retirement Income Security Act by denying their LTD claims or by lowering or cutting of benefits payments.

The plaintiffs filed the suits in the litigation, In Re: UnumProvident Corp. ERISA Benefits Denial Actions, in 2003.