Mechanic in Wheelchair Credits 'GMA' for Victory Against Insurer

March 18, 2010— -- Joe McKee loved riding Harley-Davidsons, saltwater fishing, and living life to the fullest. But in July 2008, his life changed forever. He was tearing down a concrete storage building in his backyard when one side of the wall fell on him, slamming him into the ground.

"I realized I couldn't move my legs," he said. "At that point I realized I couldn't, no matter what, I couldn't feel anything."

McKee, an aircraft mechanic and Marine veteran from Dayton Beach, Fla., was airlifted to the hospital, where doctors said he had suffered a severe spinal-cord injury. After several lengthy surgeries, McKee and his wife Sandi were given brutal news.

"They came and told me that he would never walk again," Sandi McKee said.

Like approximately one in three Americans, McKee, 53, had an accidental death and dismemberment insurance policy. This type of insurance guarantees a lump-sum payment to you or your family in the event of a devastating accident or death. But critics say many of these insurance policies contain such vague and ambiguous terms that the insurer can try to avoid paying your claim when you need it most.

According to the policy, Cigna promised to pay McKee over half a million dollars if he submitted proof that that he met the policy's definition of paralysis, which is defined as total loss of use of his lower limbs.

The couple expected that because doctors told McKee he was bound to a wheelchair, Cigna would pay his claim and he would be able to renovate his home to accommodate his new life in a wheelchair.

But despite the medical evidence he submitted, Cigna Group Insurance denied McKee's claim and sent him a letter saying he could "ambulate and perform all ...activities of daily living." (CLICK HERE to read the denial from Cigna.)

"I cannot walk," McKee said. "How can I perform all the activities that I used to do before I was injured?"