Our mission at AEL is to help our clients put their lives back on track. We know that if you’ve been seriously injured or dealing with a long-term disability claim, struggling with insurance company games is that the last thing you need.
You need treatment, support, and guidance through one of the most traumatic events of your life.
That’s why you need an attorney with the experience, compassion, and resources needed to provide that support.
We are guided by four principles:
Trust
It is impossible to gain justice without trust. We believe that you, the client, should be able to trust your attorneys to do what is right to help you recover compensation for your condition. We’ll get you the treatment and financial compensation you need to get back to where you were before the accident or the disability started. You need things to get back to your life. When you contact our office, we will meet with you at no charge to discuss your case. Don’t worry about attorney fees. We don’t collect a fee unless you win or we settle your case.
Courage
Most attorneys who advertise themselves as helping people who have been injured or denied disability benefits will rarely take their cases to Court – and often, that’s because of fear. Our attorneys are different. We have the courage and the desire to take on the insurance companies and their lawyers and let the Judge or 12 people on a jury see what they are up to. The insurance companies are not your friends. Their primary goal is to keep your money – and they have plenty of attorneys to help them do just that. Other attorneys often turn to us when their cases have to go to trial. You can start here, and we’ll stay with you from start to finish.
Honesty
Our attorneys know that trials and cases are won using the truth. We present our cases with absolute honesty. Truth and honesty are the most powerful tools in a courtroom. Judges and jurors are too smart to be fooled, and when it comes to finding the truth, they can always tell when one side is being less than honest. Without earning trust, getting full justice is very difficult.
Integrity
Integrity goes hand-in-hand with trust. We believe in treating our clients with respect and dignity. This is what you expect from insurance companies but don’t always get. We know the last thing you want to deal with is stressful phone calls or insurance company tricks when you or a loved one is in pain or disabled. Let AEL take over. We will handle the insurance companies with the integrity and firmness the situation demands.
For decades, we’ve been the law firm Seattle residents trust to help them through difficult times.
Contact us today to schedule your free initial consultation.
ATTORNEYS
Aaron Engle
Aaron Engle is a fifth-generation Washingtonian, and his practice follows AEL’s long tradition of fighting for those who have wrongfully been denied insurance benefits to which they are entitled. Often these cases involve the denial of insurance benefits that his clients have worked long and hard for or dutifully paid the premiums for many years, with the expectation that the insurance company would live up to its end of the bargain. Aaron also stands up for those who have been harmed by the negligence of other people, corporations, and the government.
He graduated with honors from the University of Washington with a degree in History. He then graduated Cum Laude from Seattle University School of Law, where he was honored for excellence in legal writing.
Aaron is a member of the Washington State Bar Association, and Oregon State Bar Association, an Eagle member of the Washington State Association for Justice, a member of Public Justice, and a member of the Federal Bar Association for the Western District of Washington. Aaron formerly sat on the Board of Directors of the Brain Injury Association of Washington.
Aaron is an avid outdoor enthusiast and sports fan. He particularly enjoys climbing, biking, and skiing throughout the Pacific Northwest with his family and friends.
Representative Cases:
- Bauer v. Pan-American Life Insurance Company, 2007 WL 3026891 (W.D. Wash., October 15, 2007) (The Court found a wrongful denial of private policy long-term disability benefits and awarded monthly benefits to our client).
- Burkett v. Union Security Insurance Company, 2007 WL 1687770 (W.D. Wash., June 07, 2007) (We successfully voided an improper amendment to a long-term disability plan).
- Scanlon v. Life Insurance Company of North America, 670 F.Supp.2d 1181 (W.D. Wash., 2009) (The Court found that LINA made a wrongful denial of life insurance benefits and found that the company handled the claim in bad faith).
- Smith v. Weekly Disability Income Ins. for Employees of Friends of KEXP, 2010 WL 890068 (W.D. Wash., March 09, 2010) (The Court found that further appeals by our client would be futile and allowed her to file a lawsuit).
- VanCleave v. The Boeing Company Non-Union Long Term Disability Plan, Case 2:09-cv-01512-RSL Dkt. 25 (W.D. Wash., June 14, 2010) (The Court allowed us to collect discovery into Aetna’s claims handling practices).
- Murray v. Anderson Bjornstad Kane Jacobs, Inc., 2011 WL 617384 (W.D. Wash., 2011) (In a case of first impression, the Court upheld the Washington Insurance Commissioner’s regulation banning discretionary clauses and our client was given the benefit of de novo review for his long-term disability claim).
- Arnsperger v. Boeing Company Employee Benefit Plan, 2013 WL 550561 (D. Oregon, 2013) (After a bench trial, the Court found that Aetna had improperly denied our client’s long term disability claim and awarded her benefits, attorney’s fees, and costs).
- Lervick v. Hartford Life and Acc. Ins. Co., 2014 WL 6997650 (W.D.Wash. Dec .9, 2014) (After briefing, the Court found that Hartford had improperly denied our client’s long term disability claim and awarded her benefits, attorney’s fees, and costs).
- Mullaney v The Paul Revere Life Ins. Co. and Unum Life Ins. Co. of America., 2018 WL 3328402 (W.D. Wash. 2018) (After a bench trial, the Court found that the insurance companies had improperly denied our client’s long-term disability claim and awarded him benefits).
- Mapes v. Unum Life Ins. Co. of America., 3:18-cv-05724-BHS (W.D. Wash. February 20, 2020) (The Court remanded our client’s claim back to Unum for further review).
Presentations:
- 2008, 30th Insurance Law Seminar, WSTLA, The ERISA Apocalypse – Is the end near…, Co-presenter with Mike Nelson.
- 2009, 31st Annual Insurance Law Seminar, WSTLA, Insurance Fair Conduct Act “Retroactivity” and Other New IFCA Concepts, Co-Author with Mike Nelson.
- 2010, Motor Vehicle Litigation Seminar, WSTLA, ERISA Subrogation.
- 2011, Case Manager Training Seminar, Brain Injury Alliance of Washington, Disability Insurance: (Some of) What You Have to Know.
- 2011, Lunch Series Seminar, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Disability Insurance.
- 2012, Handling the Traumatic Brain Injury Case, Brain Injury Alliance of Washington, ERISA Subrogation and Your Traumatic Brain Injury Case.
- 2016, The Medical-Legal Seminar on Traumatic Brain Injury for Attorneys, Brain Injury Alliance of Washington, What To Know About Disability: Private and Governmental Benefits.
- 2018, The Medical-Legal Seminar on Traumatic Brain Injuries, Washington Athletic Club, 2018, Using Medical Literature in a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Case.
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