Skilled trade workers have extensive specialized knowledge and often earn a very good living. However, these jobs can be very demanding on the body, and doing them when disabled can be difficult or impossible. That’s why long-term disability insurance is so important.
Unfortunately, even if you have long-term disability insurance coverage, there’s no guarantee that your policy will pay as promised. In fact, many trade workers find that their insurer denies legitimate benefits claims, in part because these claims can be costly for insurers if skilled workers are earning a generous salary.
Julie A. Rice Law has extensive experience representing workers in the trades whose claim for benefits was denied. Contact our Atlanta, GA long-term disability denial lawyers today to find out how we can help you.
Common problems skilled trade workers face with long-term disability benefits claims
Many skilled trade workers get long-term disability coverage through their employer. This means ERISA regulations govern their benefit claims. Unfortunately, these laws can be complicated and sometimes favor insurers.
If you are a professional in the trades and you receive a benefits denial, navigating the internal appeals process and ensuring you provide appropriate evidence is critical to protect your rights. Failing to understand the rules can jeopardize your ability to pursue your claim and appeal denials, so you can’t afford to make mistakes.
Beyond the complex rules, you may also face an insurance company that wants to pay as little as possible to protect their bottom line — so the company may deny legitimate claims or may try to unfairly delay the processing of your claim. They may also have internal doctors who downplay the extent of your injury.
It will be up to you to show that:
- You have a covered disability
- It stops you from working
- You should be entitled to benefits under your policy terms.
Ideally, you will have an own occupation policy so you can get benefits if you can’t do your specific skilled work within your trade. If you have an any occupation policy, then getting benefits will be harder since you’ll have to show you can’t do any job due to your disability.
Putting together an initial compelling application with help from an Atlanta long-term disability benefits lawyer can help you to maximize the chances of claim approval but once you’ve been denied, it’s especially essential to get legal help from a trusted advocate as the insurer has professionals on their side and you need someone to fight for the funds your insurance should provide.
How can an Atlanta long-term disability benefits lawyer help?
Julie A. Rice Law has a long history of representing skilled trade workers who have been treated unfairly by long-term disability benefits lawyers. Among other professionals, our legal team has represented:
- Automotive technicians
- Airline workers
- Carpenters
- Construction managers and workers
- Engineers
- Electrical workers
- Heavy equipment operators
- HVAC technicians
- Plumbers
- Welders
We have helped these workers and others in the trades to create successful initial applications, to appeal denials, to understand their rights under ERISA, and to go to court if necessary to fight for the benefits they deserve. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you.