It’s tough to deal with a physical condition that keeps you from working and it’s even worse when your insurance company denies your long term disability claim. People in Caledonia who are in this situation, can’t work because of an illness or injury and can’t get the disability payments they paid for and are entitled to come to Longo Lawyers for help. It’s hard to cope with health issues and money problems at the same time especially when you’re dealing with an insurance company that seems to be against you.
Long term disability benefits are you to pay your bills when you can’t work because of a medical issue. Many of us get. The insurance companies know this and that’s why they make it so hard for you to get the benefits. You paid for this coverage through your job’s benefits package. Your company may pay the premiums or take them out of your paychecks. The point of this insurance is simple: it pays you a percentage of your regular income, usually between 60 and 70% so you can stay financially stable while you can’t work. These payments can last for a set amount of time or until you retire depending on your insurance and the type of disability you have.
Although this protection is in place many people find it’s much harder to get the benefits than they thought. Insurance companies deny disability claims for many reasons some valid and some not. They can say your medical records don’t show you’re disabled enough. They may agree you’re sick but they may also say you can still work in some way even if it’s not in your old job. They send you to independent medical exams with doctors they choose and these doctors often give conclusions that downplay your handicap and support denying your benefits. Some insurance companies will even approve claims at first but then stop paying benefits after a while and say the person’s condition has improved or the policy definition has changed.
The main issue is insurance companies are businesses that want to make money and their financial goals are opposite to their duties to policyholders. Not every denial is wrong but there are many times when insurers read policy language in a way that makes it easier to deny claims, dispute real disabilities or make it harder for people to make legitimate claims.
At Longo Lawyers we help people fight back against arbitrary disability claim denials and get the compensation they deserve. The first step is to read your insurance policy carefully. It’s important to know the exact words, definitions and exclusions in your policy because each one is different. The definition of disability in your insurance whether it’s for your own job or any job has a big impact on what you need to prove to get benefits. Motorcycle Accidents frequently result in severe injuries, requiring strong advocacy for full and fair compensation.
In cases of disability strong medical evidence is necessary. Your doctors must provide you a full report on your health including your diagnosis, symptoms, how it affects your daily life and capacity to work, the treatments you’ve had and your prognosis. Insurance companies look for any holes in medical evidence that will allow them to deny a claim. We help our clients engage with their doctors to make sure their medical records fully and clearly support their disability claim.
Many long term disability policies say the definition of disability will change after a certain amount of time usually 2 years. At first you may only need to show you can’t do your own job. The policy now says you have to show you can’t do any work that is reasonably suitable to your education, skills and experience. This change usually leads to benefit terminations because insurers say you can still work in some way even if you can’t go back to your old job.
When dealing with denied claims time limits are very important. Depending on your policy type and other things the time limits to appeal denials or launch lawsuits are different. If you miss these deadlines in Caledonia or anywhere else in Ontario you may never get your benefits back. It’s important to go to a lawyer who deals with disability claims as soon as you get a denial to protect your legal rights. Nursing Home and Daycare Facility Negligence cases seek justice and improved standards of care for vulnerable individuals.
Many people don’t get legal aid because they don’t want to pay for it especially if they can’t work because of a disability. For long term disability cases we usually work on a contingency fee basis. This means you don’t have to pay us legal fees until we win compensation for you. You don’t have to worry about paying legal fees up front while you wait for your claim to be resolved because our fee is a percentage of what we recover.
You may have to negotiate with the insurance company, file formal appeals or go to court to fight a disability denial. It depends on your situation what you should do. Some cases can be settled while others need to be taken to court and possibly go to trial. No matter what your case needs we promise to fight for you and get you the benefits you deserve.
You have options if your long term disability claim in Caledonia has been denied or terminated. You don’t have to accept the insurance company’s decision without fighting it. We’re here to help you get the money you need to get through this tough time.