Disability insurance is designed to provide financial security to the policyholders when they become disabled as defined by their policies. Therefore, filing a claim for your disability benefits should be straightforward. Unfortunately, however, securing your disability benefits can be a complicated and frustrating task wrought with traps.
Insurance companies are for-profit businesses, so it is beneficial for them to deny your claim for benefits. However, as a result, you may need legal representation to help you get the benefits that you purchased and that you deserve. At Kramer, Green, Zuckerman, Greene & Buchsbaum, P.A., we can help you with your disability claim. Call us today at (954) 966-2112 or contact us online so that we can schedule a time to talk with you about your case.
Navigating the Disability Claims Process
It is very easy to become intimidated by the entire disability claims process. Dealing with aggressive insurance company claim representatives can be challenging, even as you attempt to comply with their demands.
Furthermore, your policy likely contains legally complex terms with which you are likely unfamiliar. These terms may have special meaning in the disability arena or under the terms and conditions of your insurance policy. For instance, some of the relevant questions may include:
- What is “your occupation”?
- What are the “substantial and material” duties of your occupation?
- What is “residual disability”?
You may think you know the answers to these questions. Chances are, however, that you don’t. Moreover, depending on your policy, these definitions also may change over time.
Understanding the Laws that Govern Your Disability Policy
Still, other questions are more basic. For example, do you have an individual policy or a group or employer-sponsored policy? The distinction is important, as it may determine whether your case is governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) or by state law. ERISA is a federal law that governs employer-sponsored health, disability, and medical plans for private-sector employees.
Although ERISA was intended to provide stronger protections to disabled workers, this law has created many unintended hurdles for individuals seeking benefits. ERISA has given insurance companies more power to deny claims, which is not beneficial for the individuals who can no longer work and have relied on the prospect of having disability insurance.
Indeed, under many policies, if you fail to provide appropriate information or miss deadlines, your ability to collect your disability benefits may be jeopardized. These deadlines are strict, and you must be aware of them so that you do not inadvertently lose your chance to collect the disability benefits to which you are entitled.
Hollywood Disability Attorneys with a Proven Track Record of Success
The disability attorneys at Kramer Green have a proven track record of assisting clients in disability claims against large disability insurers nationwide. These insurance companies include:
- UNUM Insurance Company
- Provident Life and Accident Insurance Company
- Paul Revere Insurance Company
- Hartford Insurance Company
- Guardian Insurance Company
We also have handled disability claims with many other of the country’s largest insurance carriers. As a result, we know what it takes to prove eligibility for disability insurance benefits under ERISA and state law. Our careful planning and preparation of medical evidence can put you in the best position possible to recover benefits in your case.
Handling Your Case at All Stages of Your Appeal
Working with a skilled disability lawyer is the most effective way to get the disability benefits you need and deserve. An initial denial does not mean that you will never get disability insurance coverage. However, building a case and mounting a solid appeal is necessary to overturn the insurance company’s decision and get a ruling in your favor.
Both ERISA and state laws may provide for several layers of review and appeals, depending on the requirements of your disability plan. We can help you decipher those requirements and ensure that you have submitted all necessary documentation and met pertinent deadlines.
We can assist you with all stages of the claim process, from filing the initial claim form to negotiating a settlement or buy-out to obtaining a jury verdict. Our clients include doctors, lawyers, executives, and other professionals who purchased some of the “best” and most expensive disability policies available.
Look to Kramer Green for Assistance with Your Disability Claims
If your disability insurance benefits have been unjustly denied, terminated, or delayed, we may be able to help. When your insurance carrier is making the claim process unreasonably tricky, you may need the intervention of an experienced Fort Lauderdale disability lawyer from our law firm.
We recognize that coping with the medical and financial issues of your disability is stressful enough. Therefore, let us deal with the insurance company and help you through this challenging process. You can schedule a time to meet with us about your case by calling (954) 966-2112 or contacting us online.