LONG-TERM DISABILITY
By Zayouna Law Firm
What is long-term disability law?
A long-term disability insurance plan is your safety net — one you hope you would never need, but is there for you in the event of a life-altering, worst-case scenario. This is generally provided through employers, especially in high-risk occupations.
No one ever dreams of having to rely on long-term disability insurance in the face of a catastrophic injury or illness. Even worse is when this safety net fails to fulfill its purpose, leaving you without disability benefits and the ability to work ever again.
Why You Need a Long-Term Disability Lawyer
Long-term disability insurance is meant to protect you, especially when you work in a high-risk occupation where you operate heavy machinery, are exposed to toxins, suffer an accident, or fall ill. It provides income replacement benefits for when you are unable to work — a lifeline for covering your basic needs and accessing crucial rehabilitation treatments, as well as upholding your quality of life.
Issues with Long-Term Disability Claims
The reality of long-term disability insurance could not be farther from its purpose. Many survivors of catastrophic injuries and illnesses are doubly burdened by the inability to earn an income, and access rightful disability benefits. Insurance companies are known to rarely make the claims process easy, instead posing barriers, such as:
- Vague and complicated language
- Misleading medical and occupational assessments certifying that you can work
- Reduced, partial, or delayed payments, insufficient to cover living expenses
- Denied disability claims, leaving you without income altogether.
File a Long-Term Disability Lawsuit
Was your disability claim denied, delayed, or reduced? Our long-term disability lawyers can help you fight your insurer’s decision. A long-term disability lawsuit allows you to claim your rightful disability benefits, and rebuild your life following a catastrophic injury or illness.
Eligibility for Long-Term Disability Claims
The impacts of long-term disability are lifelong. Workplace injuries, motor vehicle accidents, and illnesses can change your life forever, leaving you with mobility or visual and hearing impairments, chronic pain, and lasting mental health struggles.
All of these can hinder your ability to work and earn a living. Long-term disability insurance should protect you from these adverse effects, but it remains an imperfect and difficult system that fails to help you.
Common Causes of Disability Claims
The most common diagnoses that qualify for long-term disability benefits:
- Personal injury, including workplace injuries, motor vehicle accidents, slip and fall accidents, and more
- Heart disease and stroke
- Cancer
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
- Nervous system disorders
- Chronic pain disorders, including arthritis and fibromyalgia
- Infection.
Even with these common and eligible causes, many insurance companies still deny, delay, or reduce benefits for otherwise valid claims. Our long-term disability lawyers can help you dispute your insurer’s decision. We’ll file a lawsuit to claim your rightful disability benefits and ensure you are supported on your journey to recovery and rebuilding.