Nobody will ever want to get injured or fall ill. These misfortunes are not easy to deal with and can impact your ability to work. If you have been unable to do your job because of an illness or injury, you may want to file for a disability insurance claim. Long-term disability insurance offers compensation that can replace your income because of your disability. A nationwide long term disability claims lawyer can help you file a disability claim and offer counsel when your claim is denied. Also, they can help you file an appeal or lawsuit if necessary.
Understanding Long Term Disability
This type of disability makes it difficult or impossible for a worker to perform their job duties. Thankfully, their long-term disability insurance can offer compensation that serves as an extension to their income. Disability benefits are defined by policies differently. With some, benefits begin in just thirty days while a longer waiting period may be expected with others.
When benefits kick in, a lot of policies will pay compensation for some period based on the ability of the claimant to do their job’s material duties and to do any job at all. Generally, these disability policies cover employees who can’t perform their job’s occupational duties for 24 months.
Kinds of Long-Term Disability Insurance
How you will file your disability claim will depend on the type of insurance you have. Here are the most common kinds of disability insurance:
- Individual disability insurance. This private insurance is often owned by self-employed individuals, those whose employers don’t provide disability insurance or those who supplement the disability plan of their employer. This insurance is state-regulated and not covered by ERISA.
- Employer disability insurance. If you have this insurance, you get coverage through your employer or a union. Almost all of this type of insurance is subject to ERISA, which impacts how you will file for long-term, disability benefits.
- Non-employer group insurance. This disability insurance is available from a third-party organization. It is considered individual insurance to which ERISA does not apply.
Claiming Disability Benefits
Filing for a long-term disability claim is hard and insurance companies usually work against you. This requires you to have a familiarity with the process. Otherwise, you need to work with a skilled attorney. Insurance employees are trained to find flaws in disability claims. They may declare that you have insufficient medical evidence, assert that you can perform your job, claim your policy does not cover your condition, and use other tactics.
