Mel L. Crawford

Mel Crawford's expertise with both my disability insurer and employer as well as applicable laws resulted in the maximum payout of my benefits. He is thoughtful, extremely responsive, and efficient. I have referred colleagues in the past and will continue to do so in the future. About two years ...ago I faced a devastating and complex disability which required I access my long-term private disability benefits through my employer. Having faced a similar situation in the past, I was familiar with the process and tactics I was up against with the Insurance Company. Through a mutual colleague, I was referred to The Law Office of Mel Crawford. In our initial consultation Mel was empathetic, validated my fear and anxiety as justified, explained thoroughly and clearly the process, and offered fair and competitive rates. I left the meeting with renewed hope that I would have the opportunity to focus on my recovery without the fear of overwhelming, scary procedures. Those expectations were well-exceeded. Over the course of my leave, Mel vigorously and effectively protected my benefits. He was always extremely responsive in emails and phone calls. As complexities inevitably arose, he provided background and guidance with a recommended path forward. This path was the right one 100% of the time. If you are facing a similar situation, please reach out to Mel. It will make your life easier, alleviate your fear and anxiety, and help protect your income and assets - and, most importantly, allow you to focus on recovery.

After my disability insurance company denied my short term claim I started looking for a lawyer. Finding a lawyer that specializes in Employee benefits for the employee are hard to find. I was eventually pointed to the Washington Employment Law Association website. I started through the list from ...the top, and stopped for the night in the C's with no one that specialized in disability benefits. The next day, I started from the bottom of the list. Eventually I got back to the C''s and still hadn't found anyone… Then I found Mel's information and I knew I had found the person I needed to contact. And after the initial phone consultation, I knew I had found the right person to help me. Mel was very caring and confident I should win the case. He had prior experience with this company and definitely knew how they operated. When my FMLA ended, I was unable to return to work and we had notified the company of my intent to appeal, they failed to let HR know. HR wanted me to be terminated due to "job abandonment". Mel immediately sent all the documentation of contacts (and lack of response) with the insurance company.. HR quickly put me on medical administrative leave. Mel also spent time reassuring me. It took almost 6 months from the time I first filed for STD, before they finally approved the appeal. And they approved the long term disability claim without a fight when the short term ended. Every penny I spent was worth the relief and reassurance that someone competent was working on the appeal, especially since I had read many accounts of how the insurance company denied a large percentage of claims. .

My employer was a large software company and at first, I didn't have much confidence that my case would have a positive outcome. I was wrong. Not only did Mr. Crawford, review all the legal documents; he also prepared expeditious replies and ultimately I received fair compensation. As a client, I a...ppreciated his upfront, honest and expert advice and would recommend him especially for specific D&I issues.

Mel is an exceptional attorney for employees with a disability benefit claim. Representing employees is the sole focus of his practice. He does not represent employers and, therefore, doesn’t have the conflict of interest that prevents most employment law attorneys from representing employees. In ad...dition, he is an expert on ERISA, the Federal law governing these claims. He has been very successful in obtaining benefits on behalf of his clients. His fees are very reasonable, which allows clients to keep more of the benefits. My experience with Mel is the result of helping my brother obtain benefits after a disability. The issue was the benefit initially offered was substantially less than the benefit described at the time of hiring. Mel walked my brother through the ERISA process and at the same time continuously engaged the employer in discussions about the discrepancy. Mel’s expertise and attention to the details resulted in a settlement. I highly recommend Mel, without qualification, for any employee with a disability benefit claim.

I'm deeply appreciative to Mel for working so hard on my behalf. My claim for disability under ERISA involved one of the nastier local employers. Mel didn't even blink in taking them on. In the end the insurance company paid my benefits. Mel knows this area of law inside and out. He's also easygoing ...and personable. I get the sense that he doesn't sees the person in his clients, and not just the paycheck. He clearly gets excited when he forces employers and insurance companies to comply with their policies. Last, he's very careful to keep costs as low as possible. He achieves a lot in his billable hours, making the investment in retaining him pay off even more. You will not go wrong hiring Mel to handle your ERISA claim.