EAST ST. LOUIS - A Metropolis woman is suing her insurer for allegedly denying long-term disability benefits after she claims she could no longer work at a bank due to depression and other conditions.
Maggie Barnett filed the complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois against Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Company.
In the suit, Barnett, 33, claims she was no longer able to work at U.S Bank because of anxiety, depression, hypothyroidism and other conditions. Hartford approved short-term disability payments under the bank's disability insurance plan, the suit states. When her condition did not improve, she filed for long-term benefits, which were allegedly denied by the insurance company.
"Ms. Barnett has been found to qualify for Social Security disability (SSD) benefits by the Social Security Administration," the suit states. "This independent, freestanding determination by the federal government is part of the administrative Record here, and it is persuasive evidence of disability in this case."
Barnett seeks a declaration that she is eligible for the long-term disability payments and "reinstatement/award of all LTD and related benefits due; past, present and future."
As a branch manager for U.S. Bank, Barnett earned $52,275 annually, the suit states.
She is represented by Samuel Payne of Cody Allison & Associates in Nashville.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois case number 3:22-cv-683