Denied by The Hartford? Why Your Next Move Is the Most Important One You’ll Ever Make

The letter arrives in a non-descript envelope. The “thud” it makes on your table feels heavier than its few pages. You open it, and your eyes scan through the corporate, impersonal language until they land on the words you dreaded: “denied,” “not eligible,” “insufficient objective evidence.”

Your long-term disability claim, which you trusted The Hartford to honor, has been rejected.

In that moment, a mix of panic, anger, and betrayal sets in. The financial safety net you paid for, the one you were counting on during the most vulnerable time of your life, has been pulled away. Your focus shifts from your health to a new, terrifying question: What am I going to do now?

You are not alone. The Hartford is one of the largest disability insurers in the world, and they do not make a profit by approving every claim. They are a multi-billion-dollar corporation with a team of in-house doctors, lawyers, and claims adjusters whose job is to protect their bottom line.

Now, you must make a choice. And the choice you make in the next few weeks will determine the entire future of your claim.

At Uscher, Quiat, Uscher & Russo, P.C. (UQUR), we have been fighting and winning against major insurance carriers like The Hartford for decades. We know their playbook. We know their tactics. And most importantly, we know how to build a case that forces them to pay the benefits you are owed.

Before you call The Hartford, before you write a single letter, and before you give up hope, you need to understand what you are up against.

The Hartford’s Denial Playbook: Common Tactics to Look For

Your denial letter is not a simple rejection; it’s a legal document that outlines The Hartford’s entire strategy for defeating your claim. While the details may vary, the tactics are often the same.

  1. The “No Objective Evidence” Argument This is the most common tactic, especially for “invisible” illnesses. If you suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia, long-COVID, depression, anxiety, or complex chronic pain, The Hartford will claim there is no “objective proof” of your limitations. They will dismiss your reported symptoms as “subjective” and ignore your treating doctor’s opinion, claiming it’s not supported by X-rays or blood tests.
  2. The “Our In-House Doctor Disagrees” Tactic Your file was likely sent to a nurse or a “consulting physician” on The Hartford’s payroll. This doctor, who has never met you, never examined you, and never spoken to your treating physicians, will issue a “paper review” stating that your medical records do not support a finding of disability. The Hartford will then use this paid opinion to override the conclusions of your own doctors who have cared for you for years.
  3. The “We Conducted Surveillance” Tactic In many cases, The Hartford will hire a private investigator to follow you. They will film you checking your mail, carrying a bag of groceries, or visiting a friend. They will then use this “evidence”—often just a few minutes of activity on a “good day”—to argue that you are not as disabled as you claim and are capable of working. They will also scour your social media (Facebook, Instagram) for any photos or posts that contradict your claim.
  4. The “You Can Do Some Other Job” Argument Many Hartford policies change their definition of “disability” after 24 months. For the first two years, you are disabled if you cannot perform your own occupation. After that, the definition often shifts to being disabled if you cannot perform any occupation for which you are reasonably suited. The Hartford will use a “vocational expert” to say that even if you can’t be a surgeon, you can be a medical chart reviewer, or even if you can’t be a construction worker, you can be a parking lot attendant.

The ERISA Trap: The 180-Day Deadline That Can Destroy Your Case

If your long-term disability policy is part of an employee benefits package, your claim is governed by a complex and unforgiving federal law called ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act).

This is the single most important fact you need to know.

Under ERISA, the rules are not what you think. You do not get to appeal and then, if you lose, file a normal lawsuit where you can gather new evidence and have your day in court.

Instead, ERISA has a fatal trap: The Administrative Record.

When The Hartford denies your claim, you have 180 days to file an appeal. This appeal is not just a letter; it is your one and only chance to build your case.

Everything you submit in your appeal—every medical record, every doctor’s letter, every expert report, and every legal argument—becomes part of the “Administrative Record.” If The Hartford denies your appeal and you are forced to file a federal lawsuit, the judge is not allowed to look at any new evidence. They can only review the Administrative Record you (or your attorney) built during that 180-day window.

This means your appeal is your trial.

This is why hiring an expert ERISA attorney immediately is not a luxury—it’s a necessity.

Why a “Do-It-Yourself” Appeal Is a Disaster

When The Hartford denies your claim, they are counting on you to make one of these common, case-ending mistakes:

  • You just write a letter. You write an emotional letter explaining your situation and how much you need the benefits. This is legally useless, as it contains no new evidence.
  • You ask your doctor for a “note.” Your doctor, who is busy treating patients, writes a one-page letter saying, “My patient is disabled and cannot work.” The Hartford will dismiss this as “conclusory” and “lacking objective support.” Your doctor is a medical expert, not a legal or vocational expert. They don’t know how to rebut the specific points in the denial letter or argue the legal definitions in your policy.
  • You just send in more records. You gather all your recent medical records and mail them in. This is not a strategy. It does not provide context, does not include expert opinions (like a Functional Capacity Evaluation or a Vocational Analysis), and does not contain the legal arguments necessary to counter their denial.

In all of these scenarios, you have wasted your one and only chance. You have submitted a weak file, The Hartford will deny your appeal, and your case will be permanently crippled before it ever reaches a courtroom.

The UQUR Strategy: How We Build a “Trial-Ready” Appeal to Fight The Hartford

When you hire Uscher, Quiat, Uscher & Russo, P.C., you are hiring a team of veteran ERISA litigators. We have been fighting The Hartford for decades. We build your appeal as if we are preparing for a federal court trial from day one.

Our goal is to build an Administrative Record so overwhelmingly strong that The Hartford is forced to make a choice: reverse their denial and pay you, or face a losing lawsuit based on the powerful evidence we have created.

Our process is meticulous, proactive, and proven.

  1. Forensic Deconstruction of Your File: We don’t just look at the denial letter. We immediately demand your entire claim file from The Hartford, which we are entitled to under ERISA. We review every note, every internal email, and every medical review The Hartford’s team created. We find their errors, their biases, and the evidence they ignored.
  2. Gathering New, Dispositive Evidence: We don’t just use your old records. We commission new, powerful reports to fill the “objective evidence” gaps The Hartford created. This may include:
    • A Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE): A comprehensive test by a physical therapist to provide objective data on your physical ability to sit, stand, lift, carry, and more.
    • A Neuropsychological Evaluation: For cognitive claims (“brain fog,” memory loss, TBI), this provides objective data on your cognitive deficits.
    • A Vocational Expert Report: We hire our own expert to write a detailed report on the actual demands of your specific occupation, not the generic one The Hartford’s expert used.
  3. Arming Your Treating Physicians: We don’t just ask your doctors for a note. We arm them. We send them the denial letter, The Hartford’s flawed medical review, and our vocational report. We then pose specific, detailed questions for them to answer, allowing them to legally and medically rebut The Hartford’s “paper-only” doctor point by point.
  4. Authoring a Persuasive Legal Brief: Finally, we combine all this new evidence into a comprehensive legal brief, often 50-100 pages long. This brief meticulously dismantles The Hartford’s denial, cites relevant case law, and proves, with overwhelming evidence, that you meet your policy’s definition of disability.

You Have One Chance. Make It Count.

The Hartford has a team of experts on their side. You deserve an expert on yours.

At UQUR, we know what is at stake. We know that this is not just a legal case; it’s your financial future, your home, and your family’s security. We have seen firsthand the tactics The Hartford and other insurers use to wear claimants down, and we have built our careers on defeating them.

Do not be a victim of their “deny, delay, defend” strategy. Do not let your 180-day appeal window close without a fight.

If The Hartford has denied your long-term disability claim, contact Uscher, Quiat, Uscher & Russo, P.C. today for a free and confidential consultation. Let us review your denial letter and show you the path to winning the benefits you deserve.