Mel L. Crawford

When I became unable to work due to a debilitating illness, I naively thought that I could simply submit my disability insurance claim and begin receiving benefits. After my initial application and first tier appeal were denied, my employer’s human resources attorney strongly recommended that I conta...ct Mel Crawford. Mr. Crawford specializes in disability law, I was told, and is highly regarded by colleagues and clients alike. After thoroughly reviewing my case, Mr. Crawford agreed to represent me and clearly explained the details of his approach, fee structure, and timeline – all of which seemed efficient, fair, and informed by his many years of experience. Throughout the process (final appeal and then litigation), Mr. Crawford was professional, thorough, and extremely knowledgeable. He welcomed my myriad questions and responded quickly to my emails, which went a long way toward allaying my anxieties during this physically, financially, and emotionally difficult experience. He was efficient with his time, spot on with his recommendations, persuasive in his well-crafted arguments, and determined to bring all of his considerable talents to bear on my behalf. In the end, Mr. Crawford successfully negotiated a settlement, which was – for me – the best possible outcome. I couldn’t be more grateful for his advocacy, expertise, and compassion.

Mel did an outstanding job helping me contest a denial of short term and long term disability benefits from a large Insurance company. He took me through a comprehensive review of the facts associated with my case, and created an excellent document that was quickly accepted by the insurance company ...as proof that the denial of benefit was incorrect. Mel is very personable, and efficient. I would recommend Mel as an advocate unequivocally.

I was very fortunate in finding and hiring Mel Crawford to represent my disability claim. The disability Insurance Co denied my every claim, even though Social Security approved me for benefits within 30 days of application!!! Mr. Crawford's specialty is Disability and he is well versed on the ERISA... law. The Insurance Co denied my STD & LTD claims for up to 2 years. Mel's perseverance, expertise, and innovative style paid off when the Insurance Co offered to settle just days before my case went before a judge. Because I am unable to disclose specifics I can only say that Mr. Mel Crawford is one of the top Disability & ERISA attorneys available! Mel always kept me informed, and returned calls/email immediately. He is professional, compassionate and a pleasure to work with. Mel's fees were very low compared to the work that he put into my claim! Don't put yourself through the torture of dealing with Disability Insurance Companies yourself, hire Mr. Mel Crawford immediately!!!

After no longer being able to work due to a disabling condition, I was surprisingly denied short term disability benefits, and eventually long term disability benefits. Luckily, I found Mel Crawford, who I hired as my lawyer. Mel helped me appeal the decision of the disability insurance carrier and t...hen litigate against them, ultimately ending up in recovering my benefits. I could not ask for a better lawyer. In addition to being an expert in the area of law he specializes of ERISA law, being very well versed in the legalities and process of it all, when working on my case he approached my situation with compassion and understanding of the unique circumstances of my medical condition. Being unable to work, having to leave my career, and being denied for disability benefits has been a very difficult situation to go through, but though this whole situation, Mel has been a silver lining for me in that dark cloud and I am so thankful to have him as my attorney. I would recommend Mel Crawford to anyone needing an ERISA lawyer!

I'd been trying to fight my disability insurance claim on my own, and was just about to give up because of the terrible toll it was taking when a friend referred me to Mel's firm. After that first call with Mel I was so relieved to discover that there was someone out there who had dedicated their pro...fessional life to defending ill people against their insurance companies. Professionally, he knows ERISA law inside and out and was on top of every minute detail of my case; it ended up in federal court and Mel capitalized on any misstep, no matter how tiny, by Prudential’s attorneys. Personally, he really cares about his clients, and his kindness and empathy show in every interaction. He was always very clear in his explanations of the law as it applied to my case and extremely prompt in responding to my questions as they arose. We won my case in federal court and I finally received all of the back benefits owed to me; Mel was even able to get me a sizable amount of interest, which was the icing on the cake. It was also very gratifying that Prudential had to pay for all of Mel's time from the beginning of the federal suit onward. It is true that legal representation can be expensive and comes at the very worst time - when a person is out of work from illness. But, I was confident in two things: 1) that Mel would help me win my case and the back benefits owed to me would more than cover my legal fees, and 2) even if I ended up paying as much in legal fees as the back benefits I received, it would be worth it to be one more person to stand up to these huge insurance companies. However, I did not have to worry about the latter because my settlement covered my legal fees many times over. Moreover, because Mel knows ERISA law so well and is so good at what he does, he works very efficiently and that keeps costs down. A lessor attorney would most certainly have been more expensive in the long run. There is no doubt in my mind that I would not have had a successful outcome without legal representation, but I truly believe that I had the very best in every regard. Mel is not only exceptionally good at what he does, he is an exceptional person.