Case Study

Reaching the Insurance Goal

Background

When one of the NBA and NHL’s insurance companies excluded certain coverage for players, dozens of claims ensued.  One of the more prominent claims included a $76 million disability payout for a well-known hockey player.

Freeborn’s Involvement

The insurance company turned to Freeborn to analyze the coverages, investigate the actual nature of the athlete’s injury and provide a successful outcome. As part of its work, Freeborn confirmed that the athlete’s contract included an exclusion for spine and back injuries – exactly the type of injury allegedly suffered.  However, the athlete claimed the injury related to his gluteus maximus and not his back or spine.  Multiple medical professionals debated the actual nature of the injury in depositions as well as the appropriateness of the team’s bad faith allegations against the insurer. 

Results 

Serious issues were raised when a key medical expert explained that if the injury was minor, a simple surgery could have alleviated the disability – yet no doctor recommended that surgery.  A successful and confidential settlement was reached.