SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – UnumProvident Corp., the nation’s largest disability insurer, systematically sought ways to avoid paying claims to millions of California customers, a lawsuit claims.

The lawsuit filed Friday in Superior Court by policyholders seeks class-action status. It comes less than a month after the company was ordered to pay an $8 million fine to settle similar charges against the company by state insurance regulators.

The lawsuit seeks billions of dollars in premium refunds and damages for denied claims. The suit also names UnumProvident subsidiary Paul Revere Life Insurance Co.

The lead plaintiff in the case is former Berkeley chiropractor Joan Hangarter, who won a unanimous $7.7 million federal jury award after she became disabled by tendinitis and Paul Revere denied her benefits.

Attorney Ray Bourhis said he expects the settlement with state officials to boost his case against the Chattanooga, Tenn.-based insurer, which settled similar allegations with 48 other states last year.

But UnumProvident spokesman Mary Clarke Guenther said the previous California settlement should foreclose the new claims.

“We find his latest complaint completely without merit and believe the recent settlement with California makes Mr. Bourhis’ charges moot,” she said.

UnumProvident was created through the 1999 merger of Provident Cos. of Chattanooga and Unum Corp. of Portland, Maine. It has about 12,000 employees, including 3,600 in Maine, and last year paid more than $6 billion in benefits.

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