Boeing Employees Sue Aetna

Employees at Boeing Co., the second-biggest U.S. defense contractor, have sued the company and health insurer Aetna Inc., saying they denied valid disability insurance claims.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Seattle, says Aetna emphasized certain evidence in denying insurance claims for disabled employees and dismissed evidence that strengthened those claims. Boeing is named in the suit as a sponsor of Aetna’s benefits plan.

Aetna’s claims review process was motivated by a desire to increase profit, Fred Langer, an attorney representing the employees, said Tuesday.

“My intentions are to get Aetna to treat disabled people fairly, and give them the benefits they deserve,” he said.

Langer estimated the lawsuit would include 300 to 500 disabled employees of Chicago-based Boeing; the company is a major employer in Southern California.

“It is Aetna’s policy to review each disability claim based on its own merits, and to make appropriate decisions based on the terms of the Boeing plan,” Aetna spokesman Fred Laberge said. The insurer is based in Hartford, Conn.

Boeing spokesman Kenneth Mercer said he had not read the complaint and would not comment on its allegations.