Long-term disability insurance is an affordable method to ensure income protection, assuming benefits are awarded appropriately.
Here in Canada, we enjoy many social safety nets; these programs and laws are designed, in large part, to help people through difficult times that they would not be able to navigate themselves without going into massive debt or substantially reducing their quality of life. One of these socially beneficial laws is disability benefits for individuals who become too injured or ill to work. Long-term disability insurance is an affordable method to ensure income protection, assuming benefits are awarded appropriately. Unfortunately, the process of actually applying for and collecting benefits is not so simple.
Our long-term disability lawyers can meet with you in Windsor for a free initial consultation. Call (416) 364-2000
Unfortunately Receiving Long-Term Disability Benefits Is Easier Said Than Done
Ill and injured employees are frequently denied their rightful benefits for various reasons, and others who have been receiving benefits are abruptly cut off from their benefits. Even if you may meet the qualifications for having a disabling condition, you most likely need a lawyer to help you obtain and keep your benefits. Here at Preszler Law Firm, our long-term disability lawyers assist Windsor clients who have been diagnosed with all types of disabling conditions from fibromyalgia, traumatic brain injuries, and spinal injuries, to chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, and back injuries. If you are unable to work due to your injury or illness, the time to act is now.
Windsor Long-Term Disability Lawyer Near Me (416) 364-2000
Disabilities That can Qualify for Long-Term Disability Benefits
Disabilities are more common than most people think. In fact, 22% of Canadians have at least one disability, according to Statistics Canada. Many individuals only experience their disabling condition temporarily, or less than 12 months. However, hundreds of thousands more are permanently impaired and are unable to work full time because of their level of impairment. By category, the most common disabilities in Canada are as follows:
- 15% are pain-related
- 10% are caused by flexibility issues
- 10% are mobility impairments
- 7% are mental-health related
- 5% are related to eyesight
- 5% are related to hearing
- 5% are caused by dexterity problems
- 4% are learning disorders
- 4% are memory impairments
- 1% are developmental disorders
Younger people are more likely to suffer from a mental health disability, while older people are more likely to be physically impaired.
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Studies Show the Link Between Poverty and Disabilities
About 80% of working-age adults in Canada are employed, whereas only 59% of Canadians with disabilities have jobs. Not being employed, or going from one part-time job to the next with long gaps in between due to a painful injury, illness, or mental health disorder flaring up sporadically, obviously has a negative impact on the individual’s standard of living. Disabled individuals are more likely to be impoverished than their non-disabled peers, according to the Council of Canadians with Disabilities. Moreover, those with disabilities are also more likely to suffer from physical illnesses and mental health disorders such as depression because of their underlying disability, and have shorter life expectancies than non-disabled people, according to various studies. Many of these painful realities can be avoided with long-term disability insurance benefits, which help keep policyholders out of poverty, keep them in their homes, and allow them the financial means to afford out-of-pocket medical expenses such as high-end medical devices and physical therapy. No one should have to suffer these dire consequences of being disabled, especially when they have purchased long-term disability insurance and qualify for benefits under their policy specifications.
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The Time to Act Is Now: Do Not Wait to File a Disability Claim in Windsor
If you are a policyholder, do not expect your insurer to hold their breath anxiously waiting for you to file your claim so they can approve it. In fact, do not expect them to be on your side at all. First of all, there are statutes of limitations that require you to file in a timely manner. Secondly, your own policy most likely has deadlines that you have to meet. Lastly, it is in your insurer’s best financial interests to deny coverage or limit your benefits. Here at Preszler Law Firm, we can help you succeed in your disability claim so that you can have access to your benefits as soon as possible.
Important Steps to Take for Filing a Disability Claim
- Use Extreme Caution When Speaking With Insurance Companies—Many insurance adjusters are simply looking to find a way to weasel out of covering your disability claim. After all, their primary interest is to assist your employer, not you. They may be searching for anything you say to use against you, even if it is taken out of context or you misspoke. It is best to simply leave the job of communication with insurance companies to your Windsor long-term disability lawyer.
- Follow Your Physician’s Orders—Receiving disability benefits requires presenting a compelling medical case, and if you miss doctor appointments, engage in prohibited activities, or do not carry through on professional medical orders, your claim will most likely be denied.
- Keep Your Medical Records Organized—Supporting medical evidence offers the surest path for a long-term disability claim to be approved by an insurer. In order to accomplish this, it is important to keep your medical records organized and ready to access, which is just one aspect of your lawyer’s job. Going without a lawyer has many disadvantages, and misplacing, forgetting to include, or being disorganized with paperwork is just one of the many risks that disabled policyholders take when they do not seek out professional legal representation.
If Your Disability Claim Was Denied, Talk to a Windsor Lawyer Today for Help
Whether your claim was denied or you have yet to file a disability claim, the lawyers at Preszler Law Firm are here to help. In either case, you need to take swift action to preserve your eligibility for long-term disability. You have the insurance, but that does not necessarily mean you will end up getting the benefits. We can assist you by fighting against bad faith tactics, ensuring that you meet deadlines and that your application does not include mistakes, arguing that you do in fact meet your insurer’s definition of disabled, and more. Call Preszler Law Firm at 1-800-JUSTICE today to schedule a free consultation.
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