LOS ANGELES – A Manhattan Beach resident alleges his insurer wrongfully decided to offset the full amount of his Social Security benefits.
Patrick W. McLaughlin filed a complaint on Feb. 13 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against Unum Life Insurance Co. of America alleging that the insurance firm denied plaintiff's claim for disability benefits.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that in 2013 he became disabled due to the complications of a hernia and was initially approved to receive disability benefits. The suit states the defendant later reduced the payments based on the amount he received from Social Security, and stated that because his Social Security benefits were back dated, the defendant had overpaid his benefits and demanded he repay the amount. The plaintiff holds Unum Life Insurance Co. of America responsible because the defendant allegedly reduced plaintiff's disability benefits despite his appeal.
The plaintiff seeks order that it limit its offsets from the plaintiff's benefits to 61 percent of those benefits, all legal fees, interest and any other relief as the court deems just. He is represented by Russell G. Petti of Law Offices of Russell G. Petti in La Canada.
U.S. District Court for the Central District of California Case number 2:17-cv-01163-AB-AS