Douglasville Long-Term Disability Claims
Many workers are offered membership in a Long-Term Disability (LTD) plan provided by their employers. These insurance policies are intended to provide emergency compensation to people who are left unable to work by a chronic illness or injury. Insurance companies can make filing successful Douglasville long-term disability claims a long and complex procedure. Experienced long-term disability claim lawyers can help to maximize their chances of successfully obtaining the benefits that they deserve.
Defining Physical and Mental Disabilities
Individual LTD plans carry their own definitions of disabled. In general, a disabled person is unable to work in their past job but check with your individual policy for their specific requirements. The disability can be the result of a physical illness, a physical injury, or a mental condition.
Some common examples may include:
- Schizophrenia
- Severe Anxiety
- Manic/Depression
- Cancer
- Severe Joint Injuries
- COPD
- HIV/AIDS
Is the Initial Diagnosis Relevant to the Case?
Whenever a person alleges that their medical condition prevents them from working, it is essential that these statements are backed up by evidence. Anybody can claim to be disabled, but a doctor’s statement confirming this is vital to the application. Not only is an initial diagnosis important, but continued treatment over months and years will form the basis for successful Douglasville long-term disability claims.
Indeed, medical documentation of all kinds should be attached to any application to make the claim clear and concise. This is essential to not just an initial application, but to form the core of any needed appeals.
What Happens After Claim Denial?
Insurance companies make a profit off of denying Douglasville long-term disability claims. As a result, they have numerous mechanisms for denying benefits. The main tool that they use is a narrow reading of medical evidence. As mentioned above, the doctor’s records that outline the condition and its effect upon the worker are the most important part of the application. If this evidence is clear, the insurance company will have a difficult time denying the extent of the severity of the conditions.
Companies may also claim that the condition preexisted the worker’s enrollment in the plan, or even employ agents to observe the applicant in public in an attempt to catch them in a lie. All of these tactics lead to applications being denied. All denied applications may be appealed.
However, these appeals rarely lead to a successful outcome. This is because the Federal ERISA laws state that appeals of LTD denials are first heard by the insurance companies themselves. It is easy to see why an insurance company would rarely overturn their own initial finding. Further complicating things, this appeal can often take many months to resolve. Only after this appeal is denied can a person turn to the US District Court for a lawsuit.
Seeking Help for Douglasville Long Term Disability Claims
Attorneys understand that people who are denied LTD benefits are confused and frustrated. In their minds, they have paid into an LTD program, been left unable to work, and denied the very benefits for which they have paid.
Lawyers can work with people who are considering applying for the first time to make their applications as complete and convincing as possible. Using this method can decrease the chances of a denial. If an applicant has been denied already, a lawyer can help to file the necessary paperwork for an insurance group appeal, and ultimately a lawsuit in US District Court.
