Long-term disability (LTD) insurance can provide a portion of lost income in the unfortunate event you become disabled and unable to work.  Most people obtain LTD insurance as an employee benefit through their employment along with other employee benefits like health insurance, dental, vision, and other benefits.  These cases are usually governed by a federal statute called the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, the federal ERISA statute, which governs employee benefit plans, except for people who work for government and church employers, which are exempt fro ..read more

Understanding what ERISA disability insurance claims are, how ERISA claims are governed, and how disability insurance companies think when approving or denying claims can make a difference.  Reading this article may give you the motivation to keep going if you receive a denial of your long-term disability benefits. Disability Insurance Benefits Long-term disability benefits are designed to provide benefits in the event one’s ability to work is interrupted.  Most people have little idea whether the disability benefits are provided by their employer or an insurance ..read more

How do your doctor visits and long-term disability go together? Discussions with your doctor often include the reason for your visit, how you’re doing overall, and treatment plans.  The more issues or ailments you suffer from, the more in-depth these conversations tend to be.  It’s surprising then, how often we learn that clients have never discussed their disability or disability insurance with their doctors. Talk to your doctors about your disability insurance You should let your doctors know what you’re going through with the disability insurance company.  Aside from the obv ..read more

How do I know when it is time to go out on disability? How do you know when it is time to go out on disability?  Occasionally people come to us who haven’t yet filed for disability insurance benefits because they are still working and considering applying.  They often ask how to know when it is time to go out of work on disability.  We generally respond that we are a law firm and this is a question best answered by your doctor.  Does your doctor say you can no longer work?  Does your doctor say you cannot perform the duties of your own occupation?  Does your docto ..read more

Obtaining your disability insurance policy. When you sign up for a disability insurance policy, you are usually given some information about your disability insurance benefits.  Many people don’t review their disability insurance policy, the same way most of us accept user agreements without ever reading them.  In fact, most people don’t even keep the policy and those of us who do keep it often don’t know where it is.  It’s a widespread phenomenon that can be a problem if you become disabled.   Where do I obtain my disability insurance policy? We often hear people say they ..read more

4 Important Tips for Disability Insurance Clients Find 4 important tips for disability insurance clients who hire a disability insurance attorney to represent them below   Fill out information completely and accurately: When your attorney sends you a fee agreement packet, there will usually be some forms to complete asking for information about you and possibly information relative to your case.  It’s important to be sure you complete these in a timely manner, but also take your time to complete them thoroughly and accurately.  As an example, writing “Dr. Smith” as one of your d ..read more

Disability insurance approval in Melbourne, Florida Another approval, this time in Melbourne, Florida.  Client came to us suffering from lymphedema, lipomatosis, history of a failed laminectomy, sleep apnea, as well as other conditions.  One of the unique aspects of this case was that the denial letter stated that the client was not disabled from any occupation and that the policy transitions from proving inability to perform your own occupation to any occupation after just one year, whereas the any-occ transition in most LTD policies occurs at 24 months.  The insurance company ..read more

Disability insurance approval in Pompano Beach, FL Another client approved, this time out of Pompano Beach, Florida.  Client came to us suffering from IBS, post COVID-19 problems, hearing loss, arthritis, type 2 diabetes, and anxiety.  The insurance company denied the claim stating that the medical information did not provide evidence of a severity of impairment to preclude her from performing her own occupation.   The client went out of work due to medical issues prior to contracting COVID-19.  While out of work from the initial medical issues, she became infected with COV ..read more

Disability insurance approval in Holiday, Florida Another approval for short and long-term disability insurance benefits, this time out of Holiday, Florida. Client came to us suffering from three types of aphasia, pursuant to a stroke, with right side weakness, and ulcerative colitis.  The insurance company denied the short-term claim based on lack of information.  The limited information the insurance company had received didn’t substantiate a disability claim.   When our office took over the handling of the claim, we immediately went to work gathering medical evidence, not onl ..read more

Long-term disability (LTD) insurance can provide a portion of lost income in the unfortunate event you become disabled and unable to work.  Most people obtain LTD insurance as an employee benefit through their employment along with other employee benefits like health insurance, dental, vision, and other benefits.  These cases are usually governed by a federal statute called the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, the federal ERISA statute, which governs employee benefit plans, except for people who work for government and church employers, which are exempt fro ..read more