Proven. Reliable. Victorious.

“Brent was knowledgeable, thoughtful and had a strategic approach. I will never be able to properly thank Brent enough for helping me reach a positive outcome. Brent was efficient with his time and strategy, unbelievably empathetic and re-assuring. Thank you to Brent....I am forever grateful.”

— Posted by Erin E.

Welcome to Dorian Law’s blog page. This is where we write about useful tips, emerging trends, and provide thoughtful insights regarding LTD, Life, and AD&D Insurance benefits. Search for something you are interested in or check out a topic from the list below. Whatever brought you here, I hope we can make a difference.

A chart with two sections, one labeled 9 years for super lawyers from 2017 to 2025, and another labeled 3 years for rising stars from 2014 to 2016.

Brent Dorian Brehm 10/22/26 Brent Dorian Brehm 10/22/26

Who Gets to Write ERISA’s Rules? Exhaustion, Freedom of Contract, and the Questions Bolton Leaves Open

The en banc Eleventh Circuit held that ERISA itself does not require exhaustion of statutory claims — and reserved two harder questions. Where does the benefits-exhaustion requirement come from, if not the statute? And if a plan cannot contract away ERISA’s protections, why should its choice-of-law clause contract away state insurance protections the saving clause preserves?

Brent Dorian Brehm 10/21/26 Brent Dorian Brehm 10/21/26

Dorian Law Takes Meta Employee’s Lincoln LTD Denial to Judgment — and Wins the Question That Decided the Case

A federal court in the Northern District of California held that Lincoln National wrongly denied a Meta employee’s long-term disability claim as “pre-existing” — because Lincoln never applied the Policy’s own Rehire Terms. The claimant, a content designer with a traumatic brain injury who was rehired within six months of leaving Meta, was found disabled through at least February 2025. Before the case was filed, general-purpose AI tools reviewed the same policy and denial letters and concluded Lincoln was right. The Court disagreed, and said why.

Brent Dorian Brehm 10/15/26 Brent Dorian Brehm 10/15/26

Can an Earlier Disability Approval Help Challenge an LTD Denial? A Lincoln National Case Study

Brent Dorian Brehm 10/13/26 Brent Dorian Brehm 10/13/26

I Won Social Security Disability. Why Did My LTD Insurer Deny Me?

A Social Security disability award doesn’t bind your long-term disability insurer, but the insurer can’t simply ignore it. For claims filed after April 1, 2018, the denial must explain why the insurer disagrees. Here’s how courts weigh the award, why timing matters, and how to build your appeal around it.

Brent Dorian Brehm 10/9/26 Brent Dorian Brehm 10/9/26

Is Your Denial Letter Defective? A Checklist Based on Federal Law

Your denial letter must include specific information under federal law. This checklist compares your disability, life, or AD&D denial to the requirements, one item at a time, and shows what courts have done when an insurer left something out.

Brent Dorian Brehm 10/9/26 Brent Dorian Brehm 10/9/26

The Death Certificate Says ‘Accident.’ Why Was the AD&D Claim Denied?

A death certificate that says “accident” doesn’t guarantee AD&D benefits. When a stroke or other illness comes before a fatal fall, insurers deny the claim. Here’s what courts actually ask, and what an appeal of a benefit denial needs to prove.