Denial of a long-term disability claim is devastating. You may have been counting on benefits to cover the bills when you can’t work any longer, and you may be facing a dire financial situation when your insurer says they won’t help.
The reality is, there are some valid reasons for long-term disability denials, but there are also many situations where legitimate claims are not approved because insurers don’t want to pay as promised. You need to know the difference so you can fight for your right to benefits that you should be entitled to.
Julie A. Rice Law is here to help. Our Atlanta long-term disability denial lawyers have extensive experience fighting for the rights of those whose claims were wrongfully denied. We can review your policy to determine if your claim should be covered and help you fight to get the benefits you deserve. Give us a call today to learn more.
Why was my long-term disability claim denied?
Your insurance company should provide you with a clear explanation of why your disability benefits claim was denied. Some of the most common reasons for a claim denial include:
- Inadequate medical records: You need to provide documented proof from a qualified medical expert to show that you have a covered disabling condition under the terms of your policy. If your records are incomplete or don’t show the extent of your disability, your claim may be denied.
- Lack of evidence of disability: If your records don’t show you have a covered condition to the satisfaction of your insurer, you will not be able to collect benefits.
- Disability is not covered: Your condition may not be one that the policy covers, or it may be excluded because it was a pre-existing condition.
- Your disability doesn’t prevent you from working: You can get benefits only if your disability makes it impossible for you to work. If your policy is an own occupation policy, then you are entitled to benefits if you can’t do your job or a substantially similar one. If it’s an any occupation policy, you’re covered only if you can’t do any job with your condition.
- Missed deadline: If your insurer has a timeline for filing a claim after becoming disabled and you missed the deadline, you may not be able to get benefits.
- Disputed disability: If an independent medical examination shows your disability isn’t as severe and impairing as you claim, you may not be entitled to benefits.
- Failure to follow doctor’s orders: In some cases, if you do not comply with a treatment plan, this may interfere with your ability to get benefits paid.
These are just some of the reasons why your insurer may try to deny you your benefits. In some cases, the denial is a legitimate one — but in many cases, your insurers simply will look for excuses not to pay.
How can a long-term disability denial lawyer help you?
Julie A. Rice Law, our Atlanta long-term disability lawyers will help you fight for your benefits if your claim should be covered but your insurer is treating you unfairly.
We have decades of collective experience standing up to some of the biggest insurers in the Atlanta area, and we understand both how to navigate the internal appeals process and how to fight for you in court to make your insurer pay.
Give us a call today to schedule a consultation and learn more about how an Atlanta long-term disability lawyer can help you.