Long-term disability insurance coverage can offer you peace of mind if you suffer from a disability that prevents you from returning to your job. Depending on your coverage, you may receive nearly your entire previous monthly take-home amount in benefits payments. Unfortunately, some insurance companies regularly deny claimants the benefits to which they should be entitled. At Osterhout Berger Disability Law, our attorneys are proud to help residents of Beaver, Pennsylvania to recover the benefits they should rightfully receive from their long-term disability insurance policies.
Appealing a Denied Claim
If you receive a letter telling you that your claim for long term disability benefits has been denied, you have a right to appeal the decision. Your letter will include important information about the appeals process, including the deadlines for filing your appeal. It is important that you appeal before the deadline has passed or you may be unable to file for benefits on the basis of your disability with your carrier again. You must exhaust the in-house appeals that have been established by your insurance company before you will be able to file a lawsuit against the company. Your attorney at Osterhout Berger Disability Law can help you with your in-house appeals process to help strengthen the record supporting your claim.
Do’s and Don’ts
There are several things that you should avoid doing when you are in the process of appealing a denial of your long-term disability benefits. You should not file your appeal without first getting a copy of your record from the company. Your record will contain all of the information it relied on to deny your claim. You should also not miss your deadline for filing the appeal. You should also avoid communicating too much over the telephone with your insurance company. Instead, request that all communication about your claim is completed in writing, and save copies of the letters that you receive.
Just as there are things to avoid doing with your claim, there are things that you should make certain to do. Request a copy of your file and review your policy. Make certain to continue seeing your doctor and complete all recommended follow-up care. You may also want to ask your doctor for statements about how your disabling condition impacts your ability to complete the activities of daily living. Letters from your former employer and your acquaintances about the impact of your disability on your ability to complete your work and life functions may also be helpful. Finally, it is important for you to get help from an experienced attorney at Osterhout Berger Disability Law with appealing your denial.
Getting the Benefits You Deserve
In order to help you with getting the benefits that you deserve, your attorney at Osterhout Berger Disability Law is likely to ask you to do several things. He or she will tell you to make certain that you continue seeing your doctor regularly during your appeals process. Your attorney may also request independent examinations from your physician, statements from your doctor and former employer and copies of additional objective evidence of your disability. Our attorneys work to build the evidence that is the most favorable to you in your file. This may help your appeal to be successful in the company’s internal appeals process, obviating the need to file a lawsuit. If your long term disability insurance company still denies your appeal, building a strong record on your behalf can increase the likelihood that your filed lawsuit will be ultimately successful. When you appeal your case to the court, you will only be able to rely on the record that you have established within the company’s internal process, underscoring the reason why your attorney will work to build it on your behalf.
Long-term disability insurance can offer a vital financial safety net for you when you are injured and become disabled. One of the experienced attorneys at Osterhout Berger Disability Law will work closely with you to try to secure the benefits that you deserve. Contact us today to tell us more about your case.
