Our Florida and nationwide claims attorneys at Disability Insurance Law Group know many employers offer disability insurance as part of their employee benefits package. In this case, disability benefits are directly tied to employment because the employer typically pays the premiums for the insurance policy, and the coverage is based on the individual’s employment status with that specific employer. If you become disabled while employed and covered by such a policy, you may be eligible for disability benefits based on the terms of the policy. However, if you are terminated from your job w ..read more

Our Florida and nationwide claims attorneys at Disability Insurance Law Group know that the “incontestability clause” in insurance policies is a crucial safeguard for policyholders. It limits the insurer’s ability to contest the policy’s validity after a specific time. While the incontestability clause provides significant protection for policyholders, it does not mean that the insurer is entirely prohibited from challenging the policy’s validity. There are generally limited exceptions under which the insurer can contest the policy even after the incontestability period has expired. These ..read more

At Disability Insurance Law Group, our Florida and nationwide claims attorneys know Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCEs) play a significant role in disability claims, no matter where you live in the U.S. FCEs are rigorous assessments conducted by certified professionals, such as physical or occupational therapists. These evaluations comprehensively gauge an individual’s functional abilities, including tests of strength, flexibility, endurance, mobility, and other physical or cognitive functions that are crucial for work-related tasks. The question is, what do they mean to your disa ..read more

At Disability Insurance Law Group, our Florida and nationwide accidental death claims attorneys know an accidental death, as defined by insurance providers, typically refers to a death that occurs as a result of an unforeseen and unintentional event. Insurance policies often have specific criteria or definitions for what constitutes an accidental death, depending on the company and the policy language. While professions and industries where employees are exposed to higher levels of risk or hazards—like construction, manufacturing, transportation, agriculture, and public safety, to name a ..read more

At Disability Insurance Law Group, our Florida and nationwide claims attorneys know that the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) is a federal law that sets minimum standards for most voluntarily established retirement and health plans in private industry to protect individuals in these plans. ERISA does not mandate that employers provide pensions or health plans, but it sets standards for those who do. So, what does that mean for Florida residents and others nationwide whose benefit plans are governed by federal law? Our experienced ERISA insurance claims attorney ..read more

At Disability Insurance Law Group, our long-term disability insurance claims attorneys represent policyholders nationwide whose claims have been denied. We understand the devastating impact a denial letter can have on you and your family’s physical, emotional, and financial well-being. Without the income provided by long-term disability benefits, you may struggle to cover basic living expenses like mortgage or rent payments, utilities, groceries, and medical expenses. This can lead to mounting debt, foreclosure or eviction, and other financial difficulties that are difficult to bounce bac ..read more

Sandra A. was an executive in a large multi-national corporation. Her job required frequent travel and onsite inspections. When new products were about to launch, Sandra would give presentations to her team who would then demonstrate the products to vendors. Sandra enjoyed her career and working with her staff. She started noticing significant fatigue. Given her fast paced schedule, she assumed she was just rundown. However, her fatigue did not go away during her down time. She also began to have headaches and occasionally double vision, which she described as a wobbly feeling in her eyes. At ..read more

After paying the premiums for long-term care insurance coverage for years, it can be emotionally upsetting and financially devastating when the insurance company denies a claim for benefits. Unfortunately, this scenario is not uncommon. Long-Term Care insurers utilize a number of tactics designed to challenge and deny valid claims. In part 1 of this post, we talked about how these insurance companies draft policy language in a manner that appears ambiguous and favorable to the carrier, and how they rely on that ambiguity to routinely deny claims. Today, we will discuss several other unfair and ..read more

Most disability insurance policies allow the insurer to arrange for a reasonable, relevant independent medical examination (IME) of the claimant. While on its face this sounds fair and even potentially helpful for a disability claimant, the insurance company may use IME findings to deny a claim or terminate disability benefit payments, even in the face of the claimant’s own strong medical evidence. IME Bias A physician who performs numerous IMEs for insurance companies may have an inherent conflict in that they are often paid well by the insurance company to assess a claimant’s functionality ..read more

Life insurance seems straightforward. You buy a policy or get one through your employment that will pay money to your beneficiary after your death. You name your beneficiary or beneficiaries as part of the enrollment process and normally can change your beneficiary choices over the years as relationships evolve or people pass away. Unfortunately, sometimes after a life insurance policyholder has died, the insurance company may not be able to determine the proper beneficiary. Or a dispute develops among two or more people who believe they are the rightful beneficiaries. At this point, life insu ..read more