Toronto Injury Lawyer Blog
Let me tell you a story.
It’s about an insurance company which deals with long term disability policies.
The size of the insurance company is irrelevant for this story, because most insurers are very similar in their approach. But in fairness, they are not all the same.
The insurance company underwrites thousands and thousands of group and individual long term disability policies.
If the insurance company pays out long term disability benefits on each and every long term disability claim that gets filed; then their profitability as a company suffers.
If the insurance company does not pay out on each and every long term disability claim that gets filed; then they become more profitable.
The more money which an insurance company pays out in benefits; the less money they get to keep and report as profit.
Some long term disability claims are denied for good reason. Some long term disability claims are denied for other reasons which have little merit.
This is where a personal injury or long term disability lawyer comes in to the mix.
Most insurers bank on disability claimants not retaining a long term disability lawyer. If you don’t lawyer up, the insurance company will win the case and you won’t get the long term disability benefits which you deserve.
Do you honestly expect the insurance company to magically approve your long term disability claim after they’ve already denied it time and time again? Don’t be so naive.
Long term disability benefits and money don’t magically fall from the sky and appear in your bank account. Insurance companies don’t magically have a chance of heart and show humanity to approve your claim if you sit there and do nothing after the claim has not been papered properly and denied so many times over.
In the world of long term disability benefits, if you do nothing, you will get nothing. Few times in law can we make promises, but here we can.
Here’s an example:
If you don’t apply for long term disability benefits, you won’t receive long term disability benefits.
If you don’t fill out the long term disability application form correctly, you won’t receive long term disability benefits.
If your doctor does not complete the medical questionnaire for your long term disability application, you won’t receive long term disability benefits.
If you wait years and years to complete and file your long term disability benefits application, you won’t receive long term disability benefits.
If your long term disability benefit claim gets denied, and you do nothing about the denial, you won’t receive long term disability benefits.
The insurance company has something which you want; money in the form of long term disability benefits. While you may have paid years and years of premiums, it’s still technically their money which they are paying out to you.
So, if you want their money in the form of long term disability benefits, you will have to jump through a few hoops in order to get this money. If you don’t jump, the money will not come.
Applying for Long Term Disability benefits is likely something that’s totally new to you. It’s not like people do this sort of thing year after year. Hopefully, you never need to apply at all because you’re healthy.
The forms can be daunting and overwhelming. Some forms you can complete on your own. Other forms require your employer to complete. Another set of forms will require your doctor to complete.
Once the application has been submitted, the insurance company will likely have lots of follow up questions for you. They may want to meet with you to take a statement, or to conduct an interview with you via teleconference or over the phone.
The insurer will want your medical records from your family doctor, hospital, therapist, specialist, chiropractor, counsellor etc. This is all personal information which you will be requested to divulge on your own free will to the insurance company. You will also be expected to pay for these records, and pay for their delivery to the insurance company.
In other cases, the insurer will send you blank authorization forms to sign so that they can get your medical and employment records. You don’t have go sign these authorizations, but you have to get them these records in order to build your claim.
It’s your responsibility to build your claim and get the insurance company the information and documentation which they need to substantiate your claim. You don’t want your long term disability claim to fail because you failed provide the insurance company with the information they need in order to assess the merits of your disability claim.
Where does Goldfinger Injury Lawyers come in to the mix? Our law firm generally gets involved with long term disability claims once a person has been denied benefits. We like to be optimistic and hope that claimants get approved for benefits. In the event a claimant gets approved, then they won’t need a personal injury lawyer for their long term disability claim because they’re getting the benefits they need. But frequently these claim gets denied. And what that happens, people turn to our law firm for information, peace of mind and to fight the insurance company to get the long term disability benefit which they deserve.
The value of these long term disability cases depends on a variety of factors including but not limited to age; nature of disability; duration of disability; wage/salary; wording of the long term disability policy; duration of benefits; along with any applicable sets offs to the policy which the insurer is entitled to. It’s not a simple formula and there are many moving parts and variables at play which need to be taken in to consideration.
In the event you have questions about your long term disability claim, your long term disability policy, or simply what to expect during the application process, feel free to contact Goldfinger Injury Lawyers for your free no hassle consultation with Brian Goldfinger or one of our other personal injury lawyers.
