Has Your Long-Term Disability Claim Has Been Denied?
For many people who claim a long-term disability, they have no issues. They are approved, and they start getting the financial help that they need to survive.
However, for all those who are approved for this, there are just as many, if not more, that are not approved. For the people who are denied long-term disability, they may feel as though they are fighting a losing battle.
They may feel like there is no reason to fight back as you are never going to get approved. However, there is hope. We have compiled a few things that you can do if you have been denied a long-term disability claim and feel as though you have been wronged.
What You Need to Know
For those who are going through this process and are denied, do not give up! Most insurance companies are going to have at least one, if not two, levels of appeals that you can go through in order to get this denial overturned.
You may be thinking that it is unlikely that the same company is going to revoke their repeal, but with most appeal processes, there are other units that are looking at these denials. It is not the same person that will be looking at the case each time.
Also note, that if you think that you will simply get a lawyer to handle this, remember that you will want to exhaust the appeal process otherwise you may not be granted a lawsuit. This is especially true if you are dealing with a group plan of insurance that is provided by your employer.
Steps to Take After Denial
There are several things that you are going to want to do after you have been denied on your long-term disability. We will go through each step so that you have a complete understanding of the work that you are going to need to put in.
- Take a very close look at your denial letter
Don’t just toss the denial letter once you read it and think nothing of it. The denial letter is going to have pertinent information in it that could help the process of appealing. For one, the denial letter is going to have the exact reason as to why you were denied.
It may be nothing more than a clerical error on your part that you can easily correct. Perhaps the reason for denial has to do with your condition, you can then start arranging for more medical evidence to be given in order to be reconsidered.
The denial letter will also include how to appeal their decision and the time frame that you have, both pieces of information that is pertinent when you have been denied.
- Stack your records
If you have been denied, it is important that you prove that you have issues that are medically based. This is where most people will start getting even more medical opinions on their side that point to their condition being something that they need long-term disability for. Talk with your doctor and see if you can get their personal opinion in writing about how this condition affects your daily life and why you deserve disability.
- Resubmit your information for the appeal
Once you think that you have substantial evidence that shows that the denial for your claim was not legitimate, you can resubmit this information in hopes of getting a better letter in the mail. However, remember that this process can take several weeks to get through. You may find that in the end you are waiting around for an appeal decision even longer than your initial application for long-term disability.
- Start considering a lawyer for your case
If you feel that you are being dismissed for the injuries that you have, be sure that you are already considering whether you would be willing to hire a lawyer or not. Legal professionals can offer a lot of assistance!
How to Help your Case in the Meantime
While you are either waiting for approval or waiting to hear about your appeal, there are things that you can do in the meantime that could help you.
- Be sure that you keep going to the doctor or specialists for your treatment. If you stop doing this, you can bet your appeal is going to be denied as you are not taking the time or care enough to help yourself with medical intervention.
- Listen to your doctor’s advice. If your doctor tells you that you should not be driving, do not be driving. If your doctor states that you need to get up and walk outside for 20 minutes every day, then do this! Following the doctor’s advice is going to help you to not only heal, but it is something that the insurance companies are going to take into consideration!
- Watch your social media postings! Insurance companies are not beyond surveillance. In fact, many of these companies are going to monitor what you are posting on social media as a way to make their decisions. If you are claiming that you are completely disabled, seeing social media posts of you out and about is not going to help your case. Make sure that your social media settings are set as private and then be sure that you are not posting something that you would not want an insurance company to see.
- Be honest with everything that you state to the insurance company, even if you think that being honest is going to get your benefits denied. You want to do what is in the best interest for you and your family. Being denied because you are able to go back to work is the best option for everyone.
An Internal Review?
Many times, when a person applies for long-term disability, they may be denied and then appeal as soon as possible. During this appeal process, they may get a letter stating that the insurance company would like to do an internal review.
What is this? An internal review is going to happen inside the insurance company itself. Most people think that this is a good thing, however, many lawyers disagree. At this point, a lawyer may be needed to fight for you!
If you are struggling with your long-term disability claim that has been denied, a personal injury lawyer can help you. Just how can a lawyer help? We can help navigate this process and figure out just why a claim may be denied.
We can sue the insurance company for not properly analyzing your case and perhaps win your long-term disability claim in that manner. We know the legal system and how these insurance companies are going to work. Having someone on your side that understands the industry will prove to be valuable!
For those who have been denied on their long-term disability case, Conte & Associates is here for you.
We believe that everyone who has a long-term disability should be fairly compensated, and we work diligently to ensure that our clients are compensated as they should be. We can help you as well!
Contact us today for a free consultation and see how we can help you to fight back.
Contact us today for a FREE Consultation.
