ST. LOUIS — A hospital nurse is suing insurance providers, citing alleged breach of contract by refusing to provide coverage claims.
Rodney Gaskill filed a complaint on May 17 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri against Life Insurance Company of North America, doing business as Cigna Insurance Group, and Southeast Missouri Hospital, alleging that the defendants violated the Employment Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA).
According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that on June 17, 2015, the plaintiff was denied his claim for total disability benefits under his covered insurance plan from the defendants. The plaintiff alleges he was originally granted his claim but was later denied because of documentation that did not support a physical impairment situation even after submitting medical reports from various physicians that show he is permanently disabled. As a result, Gaskill claims he suffered a loss of income and benefits.
The plaintiff holds the defendants responsible because they allegedly failed to provide plaintiff disability benefits as covered by his plan, failed to properly assess his medical records and failed to produce all documents requested by plaintiff, providing information about his claims.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks claims for benefits, plus any actual punitive damages, penalties, interest, attorneys' fees, costs, and for such further relief as the Court deems appropriate. He is represented by Phillip A. Tatlow of Bollwerk and Tatlow LLC in Kirkwood.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri Case number 4:17-cv-01526