At Bourhis Law Group, we’ve seen firsthand how disability insurance claims can affect not just finances—but entire lives and careers. One of our clients, a highly accomplished physician, faced a devastating injury that left him unable to continue practicing in his medical specialty as a surgeon.
After a severe fall and multiple surgeries, he could no longer perform the duties of an obstetrician/gynecologist. Despite paying premiums for years, his insurance companies, US Life and AIG, denied his long-term disability benefits. They argued he was not an OB/GYN, but rather a “family planning doctor,” twisting the facts to justify a denial.
That’s when he came to us. At Bourhis Law Group, we specialize in fighting back against insurance company denials. We understood the stakes: his career, his livelihood, and his dignity. Through years of litigation, discovery, and negotiation, we proved his entitlement to benefits under his “own occupation” policy. Eventually, the insurance companies admitted he was disabled, began paying his claim and settled for an undisclosed amount that changed our client’s life.
When he received the call from our office that we got his claim approved, he cried tears of joy. He later shared that a “huge weight had been lifted off [his] shoulders.” But the story didn’t end there.
Losing the ability to practice medicine left our client searching for meaning. Like so many of our clients, who are often surgeons and other medical specialists, he devoted virtually his entire life to his career. His own identity was closely intertwined with being an OB/GYN, and now that he was disabled, he felt a profound sense of loss. He was inspired by the advocacy and compassion he experienced in working with us, and made a bold decision to go to law school. He wanted to dedicate the next chapter of his life to helping others the way his disability lawyer had helped him.
Months after we settled his case, my client sent me this email:
His personal statement goes on to explain how he became disabled, the injustice he experienced when he filed a long-term disability insurance claim, but more importantly, the impact that we as lawyers have by providing compassionate representation and fighting for justice. Of course, he was accepted into the school of his choice (name omitted for privacy).
