In the video above, attorney Marc Whitehead explains why group disability insurance claims that have reached the Erisa disability claim litigation stage can be difficult to litigate in court. If your insurance company denies your disability claim, there is a big difference in what you can do depending on whether your claim is under a […]
Speech Disorder Disability Claim Lawyer
Do you suffer from speech disorder disability? Did your disability insurance company deny your claim for disability benefits?
When you are burdened with a speech disorder, you experience loss of speech and communication. When you can no longer communicate because of a speech impairment it can be quite difficult to function in your work duties as well as daily activities.
Sleep Apnea Long Term Disability Claim Attorney
If you suffer from sleep apnea and were denied long term disability benefits by your insurance company, Social Security or the Department of Veterans Affairs, Marc Whitehead & Associates can help you win the benefits you deserve.
When you live with sleep apnea, you experience repeated, significant interruptions in breathing while sleeping. Some individuals stop breathing for up to two minutes. This stop/start cycle of breathing–not breathing may occur hundreds of time each night.
Bad Faith Insurance Laws in Disability Claims
Bad faith insurance laws protect the public from unfair or fraudulent practices by insurance companies. These are state laws, and each state’s definition of bad faith and associated regulations varies.
With regards to disability benefits, bad faith law generally applies only to individual disability insurance policies that you personally buy through an insurance company agent or rep.
Application for LTD Insurance Benefits: Make Yours Rock Solid!
When you file your initial application for LTD insurance benefits, a lot is at stake. Our video explains why disability insurance companies deny so many legitimate claims.
But sometimes a claim is denied because of mistakes and omissions made on the application, by the applicant. Without skilled legal guidance, it is a rare case for a claimant to submit an irrefutable disability claim. One that would stand up in a court of law, if needed.
Risks of Suspending Specialty Duties of Own Occupation – LTD Claim Denial
Like other recently disabled doctors and dentists, chances are you have considered suspending or deferring the specialty duties of your own occupation just so you can remain active in your practice. Be aware, the insurance company may use this against you.
The video above explains how insurance companies use every tactic they can to argue that claims for long term disability benefits are either undeserved or should be reduced. This occurs often with high-payout claims such as those for medical and dental professionals.
LTD Insurance Appeal – How to Win Your Denied Disability Claim
How do you file an LTD insurance appeal?
Our video illustrates just a few examples of denial tactics used by insurance companies to deny long term disability insurance claims. Is there a way you can fight back? Yes – you can challenge the insurer’s claim denial through the disability appeals process.
But there is a catch.
Is Your Insurer Ignoring Evidence of Disability in Your LTD Claim?
In the video above we discuss the insurance company’s tactic of “cherry picking” the records for evidence of your ability to work. This likely means the insurer is suppressing or ignoring evidence of disability as well.
You can call it many things – cherry picking, rejecting inconvenient evidence, selective observation, slanting, dismissing contrary evidence – but it all boils down to ignoring critical evidence. By doing so, an insurer is able to smother the relevant facts that prove you are unable to work.
Connect Multiple Impairments for a Winning Disability Appeal
Many disability claimants struggle with multiple impairments. And just as your LTD claim must link your health issues to your inability to work, it must also connect those various impairments to depict the totality of your disabling condition.
Listing multiple impairments can actually give insurers an opening to deny benefits. During their review of a long term disability claim, insurers often ignore, dismiss or intentionally isolate multiple medical conditions. They realize that, if all the health issues are considered as a whole, a reasonable review would find that claimant to be disabled.
How to Win Against a (Not So) Independent Medical Exam for LTD Benefits
As our video explains, an Independent Medical Exam for LTD benefits is anything but independent. In fact, it is a perfect example of an insurance company at odds with its own deserving customer. If your insurance company wants to schedule you for an Independent Medical Exam during their claim evaluation process, what can you do?
First of all, insurers are within their rights to request IMEs. This can apply whether you’re just applying for long term disability or you’re 5 years into a paying claim. In fact, many disability policies contain language that stipulates if you fail to cooperate or attend the IME, benefits may be denied or suspended.