Ottawa Long Term Disability Lawyers

Whether you are insured through your employer or purchased your own policy, long term disability (LTD) insurance can be crucial to your financial security if you become too injured or sick to work. As long as you meet the criteria for coverage defined in your specific policy, you should be able to receive anywhere from 50 to 70 percent of your wages reimbursed for a specified period of time.

However, getting an LTD claim approved can be difficult, especially if you have to go up against a massive insurance company. Legal representation from an Ottawa long term disability lawyer can greatly improve your chances of success. Once retained, a seasoned injury lawyer could help you get the most out of your initial claim and guide you through the process of appealing a denial or starting a lawsuit if necessary.

Common Long Term Disability Policy Terms

Although each individual policy has unique terms and requirements, there are four general criteria an LTD policyholder must meet to qualify for benefits:

• The claimant has a serious physical or mental condition
• The condition in question is expected to last for at least one year or longer
• The condition in question impairs the claimant’s ability to perform the duties of their current job
• The claimant is up-to-date on paying their policy premiums

A long term disability insurance policy will outline the benefits that are available to someone as well as how and when they will be paid. However, many insurance companies’ definition of disability claims changes after two years, and this sometimes makes it difficult to continue to qualify for long term disability. Often, an insurer will stop paying disability benefits as they deem that the individual no longer qualifies. It is possible to overturn these decisions, and this usually will require legal representation.

Understanding and Challenging LTD Claim Denials

Unfortunately, LTD insurance providers commonly deny initial claims for a variety of reasons, such as:

• Whether the applicant’s disability qualifies for benefits;
• Whether the applicant was honest about their medical condition; or
• Whether the applicant is disabled at all.

While it is possible to appeal a disputed LTD claim and seek a more favorable decision, often times commencing a lawsuit against the insurance company will be necessary. In either case, it is important that your long term disability insurance policy be carefully reviewed at an early stage, because there are often deadlines within which an application for benefits must be submitted. In addition, the policy will also set out the limitation period for challenging a denial or termination of LTD benefits, and once that deadline passes, the policyholder will be prevented from starting a lawsuit to recover those benefits.

Challenging a long term disability claim denial can be as simple as providing additional medical documentation to establish the severity of a disability or correcting a typographical error on an application. However, appealing a claim denial or commencing a lawsuit can be more complicated.

In either case, representation from a skilled Ottawa lawyer may be key in standing up against insurance companies that are more than willing to take advantage of unsuspecting claimants. Retaining legal counsel indicates to insurers that a claimant is taking their case seriously, helps keep a case on track, and discourages underhanded tactics and pressure from the insurance company.

Contact an Ottawa Long Term Disability Lawyer Today

In the wake of an accident or illness that leaves you unable to work, long term disability insurance can be a critical lifeline for both yourself and your family. However, since insurance companies are for-profit businesses that often look for any excuse to deny claims, getting the benefits you paid for can be unreasonably tricky in a lot of cases.

Whether you want to maximize your chances of your LTD claim being approved or appeal a claim that has already been rejected, an Ottawa long term disability lawyer at our firm can help. Contact Nicholson Gluckstein Lawyers today to see what may be possible in your situation.