A subsidiary of Unum Group has agreed to resolve a lawsuit filed by a former Bank of America executive who claimed he was unlawfully denied disability benefits following a traumatic brain injury sustained on the job, according to a new filing in North Carolina federal court.
The parties — Provident Life & Accident Insurance Co. and Michael Carew, who served as senior vice president of client management for Bank of America — jointly asked the court Wednesday to dismiss the case, just a week after informing the judge that they had reached a settlement through mediation.
Settlement Ends Two-Month Legal Battle
The resolution brings an early end to a two-month-old lawsuit that accused Provident of wrongfully denying benefits under a disability policy issued to Carew years earlier while he was a Bank of America employee.
Although the terms of the agreement were not made public, the filing indicates both sides have reached a mutually acceptable conclusion.
Injury and Denied Benefits
According to Carew’s September complaint, the case stemmed from a June 2022 workplace accident in which a heavy metal bar fell from a door, striking him in the head. The impact allegedly caused a traumatic brain injury, post-concussion syndrome, and chronic headaches, along with significant cognitive impairments.
Carew said he attempted to continue working after the incident but his symptoms worsened, forcing him to stop work on August 22, 2024.
Despite medical evidence and ongoing treatment, Carew alleged that Provident denied his claim for individual disability benefits in December 2024. When he appealed the decision in May, the insurer allegedly rejected his appeal weeks later, prompting the lawsuit.
