Getting sick or hurt and losing your job is one of the worst things that can happen to you. It’s even worse when your insurance company denies your long term disability claim. We at Longo Lawyers know how tough it is for people in St. Thomas to deal with serious health issues and lose their income all of a sudden. It’s hard to deal with the stress of fighting an insurance company while dealing with a disability, especially if you’re already worried about paying your expenses and taking care of your family.
Long term disability benefits are supposed to make up for the money you lose when you can’t work due to a medical condition. Most people get this as part of their job benefits which is included in their entire compensation package. Your insurance will pay between 60% to 70% of your regular income depending on the terms of your policy and the type of impairment you have. It will last until you can go back to work, reach retirement age or in some cases for the rest of your life. Product Liability claims hold manufacturers accountable when unsafe products cause preventable harm.
Even though they pay premiums for this coverage, many consumers find it much harder than they thought to get benefits or keep them current. Insurance companies may deny claims for good reason and sometimes not. They can say your medical records don’t show you’re disabled enough. They can say you have health issues but you can still work even if it’s not in your previous job. They usually ask you to see a doctor of your choice for an independent medical evaluation. These doctors usually downplay your limitations and recommend denial of benefits. Sometimes insurance companies will approve claims at first and then stop paying benefits. They can say they’re doing so because of surveillance or re-evaluations. The main problem is that insurance companies are businesses that want to generate money and paying claims hurts their bottom line. They are legally and contractually bound to pay valid claims but their duty to policyholders and their own financial interests are in conflict. That’s not fair because disabled people usually have a hard time getting fair treatment without a lawyer.
Longo Lawyers helps people understand their rights and build strong cases against unfairly denying disability claims. The first thing you should do in every situation is read your insurance policy all the way through. The fine print is very important because policies differ on how they define disability, what exclusions apply, how long benefits last and when benefits can be stopped. To make a plan you need to know exactly what your policy does and doesn’t. To cover. Psychological Injury claims recognize the real and lasting impact of trauma on mental and emotional health.
Medical evidence is very in every case of a medical condition. Your doctors must give you a full and full report on your diagnosis, symptoms, treatment history, how your condition affects your daily life and ability to work and your prognosis. Insurance companies look very closely at medical records and often deny claims because they think the proof is missing or not strong enough. We help our clients make sure their doctors give them detailed proof that clearly shows how bad their disability is and why they can’t work.
After a certain period of time, usually two years, many disability laws change how they define disability. At first you may only have to show you can’t do your job. After the change you have to prove you can’t do any job you are qualified for based on your degree, training and experience. This change usually means payments will stop because insurers think claimants could potentially work in some way, even if that work isn’t really available or acceptable.
When you have a claim that’s been denied, time is very of the essence. There are strict deadlines to appeal denials or file lawsuits and these deadlines depend on the type of policy you have and the situation. You may never get your benefits back if you miss these deadlines in St. Thomas or anywhere else in Ontario. You should contact a lawyer who specializes in disability cases as soon as you get a denial to protect your rights. A lot of people who have already lost their job are worried about how much it will cost to hire a lawyer. We will only charge you legal fees if we help you get benefits for your long term disability claim. You can file your claim without paying any upfront fees when money is tight by paying us a small fee.
You may have to negotiate, file an internal appeal with the insurance company or go to court if you want to dispute a disability denial. How you handle things depends on your situation. Talks may settle some disputes but others need to go to court and maybe even trial. Whatever happens with your case we will fight for your rights and make sure you get the benefits you are entitled to under your policy.
Your long term disability claim has been denied or stopped in St. Thomas, you have options. You don’t have to deal with the insurance company alone. We’re here to help you get the money you need now.