If dealing with a physical injury or psychological trauma following an
accident wasn’t enough, being denied disability benefits can put you in a tough
situation. It can be overwhelming to receive the news that owed benefits were
denied, but do not feel that you need to accept the insurer’s decision. A
disability insurance lawyer will help you get the compensation you are entitled
to.
The Right
to Disability Insurance Benefits
In the event of an injury or illness where you are not able to return
to work, disability insurance offers some protection by providing you with a
portion of your income that can go towards bills, expenses, and medical
treatment. Disability insurance aims to offset any financial hardship you might
suffer as a result of being unable to return to work resulting from a medical
condition.
The two types of disability benefits are:
· Short-term
disability (STD): Some employers offer short-term disability
benefits or salary continuation as a workplace benefit. Covers the disability
for less than six months, but policies vary widely. These benefits are intended
to provide disability income to people who need to be off work for 1-3 months.
· Long-term
disability (LTD): These benefits are intended to pay disability
replacement income for several years. For some policies, your disability
only needs to prevent you from working at your own previous occupation; for
others, you must be unable to work at any occupation. Your insurance may also
decide to cut off your LTD benefits after a certain period of time, usually two
years.
Reasons for
Denial
Insurance companies are not always forthcoming when a request is made
to justify denying disability income benefits. Too often insurance
companies deny legitimate disability claims. The most common reasons are
"insufficient medical information” and a "lack of objective medical evidence.”
Other reasons include:
- Your condition
does not fit your policy's definition of short-term or long-term
disability, if you are claiming disability.
- There is
insufficient evidence or documentation for your medical condition.
- You are not
covered for your particular accident or injury.
- There is proof
that you are not truly as injured or as disabled as you claim to be.
Appealing a denial of
benefits requires legal knowledge and a disability insurance lawyer is
committed to protecting your rights.
Don’t Give
Up
Injury and disability will alter your life in many ways. When
recovering from a serious injury or learning to adapt to permanent damage, it
may take all of your time, effort and funds, leaving you with little energy to
focus on anything else.
Disability benefits can help see you through an otherwise difficult
period in your life, but claiming benefits following your disability is not
always as simple as you might expect. If you are preparing a claim or your
disability benefits have been turned down or are less than expected, contact a
disability insurance lawyer.