CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Chriseta Gaskin and David Conner don’t know each other, but they both
know what it’s like to suddenly be unable to work and earn a living
because of an injury. And, thanks to disability coverage, they both had
the time and resources to focus on getting well rather than worrying
about paying the bills.
Gaskin and Conner have been featured in Unum’s WorkWell
daily news site and in the company’s latest Corporate
Responsibility Report, and their stories underscore the importance
of long term disability benefits in maintaining financial security.
Gaskin and Conner represent the more than 424,500 new disability claims
filed with the company in 2017 and are among the Unum customers who
received $3.8 billion in disability benefits made available by their
employer.
Unum has long worked to advance the importance of financial protection
benefits like disability insurance. A lengthy and unexpected absence
from work can have serious financial consequences. According to a 2017 GoBankingRates study,
one in four U.S. workers has less than $1,000 in savings, and more than
half of households would struggle to recover from an unexpected $2,000
expense. These stories help raise awareness about this essential
coverage.
Here’s a brief summary of their stories:
Chriseta Gaskin: Getting
back to what matters most
Chriseta Gaskin, a 61-year-old personal banker, tried to ignore the pain
in her knees for as long as she could, but it got to be too much.
Chriseta decided to have knee replacement surgery and used her
disability coverage to protect her from significant income loss during
her recovery.
“I was aware of how much money I’d need to live while I wasn’t working,”
Gaskin said. “My disability benefits check was direct deposited
regularly, so I always had money to pay the bills. It was nice to not
worry about expenses, because I did have anxiety about if I’d really
even be able to work again.”
David Conner: Finding
the courage to persevere
Department manager David Conner suffered a degloving injury when he was
struck by a forklift. After nearly a dozen procedures left David
bed-ridden, in chronic pain and depressed, he decided to amputate his
left leg.
He had a lot to worry about, but his financial stability wasn’t one of
them. “I owe everyone at Unum a lot of thanks,” Conner said. “There were
so many things I didn’t know about my Unum coverage, and they took great
care explaining everything to me. It was such a relief to know I’d have
money coming in to pay my mortgage and take care of my family.”
For more information about how disability benefits impact the lives of
working Americans, visit the customer
stories section of unum.com.
About Unum
Unum Group (www.unum.com)
is a leading provider of financial protection benefits in the United
States and the United Kingdom. Its primary businesses are Unum US,
Colonial Life, and Unum UK. Unum’s portfolio includes disability, life,
accident and critical illness, dental and vision coverage, which help
protect millions of working people and their families in the event of an
illness or injury. Unum also provides stop-loss coverage to help
self-insured employers protect against unanticipated medical costs. The
company reported revenues of $11.3 billion in 2017 and provided nearly
$7 billion in benefits.
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View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180626006201/en/
Unum Group
Brian Baker, 423-294-7839
bbaker4@unum.com
Source: Unum Group