Ontario Long-Term Disability Lawyers
Through no fault of their own, countless Ontarians develop medical conditions or sustain severe injuries that make it impossible for them to carry out the tasks associated with their jobs. In these unfortunate circumstances, injured or ill Ontarians who can no longer perform the duties of their chosen occupation may find themselves worrying about how they will be able to continue earning a living wage.
Depending on the coverage available to them through their insurance plan, people whose newly acquired medical conditions prevent them from working may be eligible to collect long-term disability (LTD) benefits. LTD benefits are designed to help workers manage their monthly expenses when their physical injuries, chronic illnesses, and/or disabling mental health conditions prevent them from returning to work.
LTD benefits could be available through an employer’s group insurance plan or through a privately held insurance policy, provided the respective plans include an appropriate level of coverage. Most LTD plans provide recipients with between 60-70% of their regular wages.
Although LTD benefits do not replace a recipient’s total regular salary, they often provide injured or ill workers with much-needed financial assistance during an extraordinarily difficult time in their lives. However, for a number of reasons, insurance providers may decide to deny a policyholder’s claim for LTD benefits. Furthermore, even those workers who initially qualified for LTD benefits may have their income replacement payments prematurely terminated, even though their medical conditions still prevent them from doing their jobs.
Insurance policyholders or their employers pay monthly premiums to insurance companies so that, should they be unexpectedly waylaid by a severe medical condition that prevents them from working, they will be able to collect the benefits payments they are rightfully owed. The terms and conditions of insurance policies can be confusing, but generally speaking, if your plan includes LTD benefits coverage and your medical condition makes it impossible for you to do your work, you should be entitled to the coverage for which you have paid.
That is why, if your claim for LTD benefits has been unfairly denied or your benefits payments have been terminated prematurely, a free initial consultation with our Ontario long-term disability lawyers might be beneficial. If you are eligible to pursue legal action, our long-term disability lawyers serving all of Ontario may be able to help you overturn your insurance provider’s unfair determination.
To review your situation with Preszler Injury Lawyers and learn about options that might be available to you, contact us online today, or schedule your free initial consultation by calling 1-800-JUSTICE.
Does My Medical Condition Entitle Me to Collect LTD Benefits?
Different insurance policies provide different levels of coverage. They also have different definitions of what constitutes a disabling medical condition. Before submitting a claim for disability benefits, it might be advisable to review your insurance plan’s eligibility requirements to make sure your medical condition could qualify you to receive disability benefits.
Generally speaking, qualifying medical conditions are not limited to physical injuries or illnesses. Mental health plays an important role in the workplace. People experiencing severe mental health issues may find it impossible to continue carrying out the duties of their job. In fact, 30% of disability claims nationwide are attributed to mental health conditions.
Although eligibility requirements for LTD benefits varies between policies, conditions that may entitle an insurance policyholder to receive them often include:
- Heart disease
- Back problems
- Chronic pain or complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
- Lupus or Lyme disease
- Psoriatic arthritis or fibromyalgia
- Paralysis
- Depression
- Bipolar mood disorder
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- And possibly more
However, even after submitting thorough evidence proving the severity of your medical condition and its impact on your ability to perform the duties of your job, your insurance provider may decide to deny your claim. If this has happened to you, call 1-800-JUSTICE to take advantage of your free initial consultation with our long-term disability lawyers serving all of Ontario.
Why Was My LTD Benefits Claim Denied?
Insurance companies can deny LTD claims for a number of reasons, all of which can be frustrating to try and comprehend. Often, insurance companies try asserting that a claimant’s medical condition does not fit their definition of disability. Providers may suggest that the applicant’s current medical complaint was caused by a pre-existing condition and therefore should not qualify them to receive LTD coverage. Claimants suffering from invisible injuries are often denied their benefits due to a lack of objective, observable substantiating evidence.
In some cases, insurers even base their determinations on the material shared by benefits claimants on social media. Status updates, pictures, videos, inspirational quotes, and other social media posts can be misconstrued or taken out of context to be used against the benefits claimant.
Unfortunately, even after submitting thorough medical evidence proving the severity of their condition and the impact it has on their ability to perform the duties of their jobs, policyholders often find themselves facing denied LTD claims. In these all-too-common situations, legitimately ill and/or injured insurance policyholders often find themselves wracked with anxieties over their ability to continue supporting themselves and their families. For many severely injured or seriously ill Ontarians, collecting LTD benefits is the only option available to them. Once denied, they could find themselves struggling to make ends meet.
How an Ontario Long-Term Disability Lawyer May Be Able to Help
Receiving a denied claim for LTD benefits can be more than demoralizing. For those with extremely limited options, the inability to collect disability may make their situation feel hopeless. However, by working with our long-term disability serving Ontario, unfairly treated policyholders may be able to fight their insurance provider’s decision to withhold the benefits they are rightfully owed.
Beginning a legal battle against an insurance company may seem like an impossible task. However, if successful, our Ontario long-term disability lawyers may be able to help you recover compensation for:
- Previously denied benefits payments
- Legal fees
- Damages you have incurred as a result of your claim’s initial denial
- Punitive damages
- And possibly more
If your claim for benefits was denied and the payments you should be entitled to were withheld, our long-term disability lawyers serving Ontario may be able to help. Our Ontario long-term disability lawyers have a history of standing up to unfair insurers and fighting on behalf of the clients we represent.
To learn more about how Preszler Injury Lawyers may be able to assist you, schedule a free initial consultation with our long-term disability lawyers serving all of Ontario by calling us today.