Long Term Disability Lawsuits: How Do They Work & What Damages Can You Receive
When you need to hire a long term disability insurance lawyer, a quick glance at the Yellow Pages is definitely not in your best interest as long term disability claims and long term disability appeals can be complex and time-sensitive - especially when your dealing with a long term disability insurer who may have acted in bad faith. That's why it's important to know the facts about what a long term disability insurance lawyer can do for you, how to find the right long term disability lawyer and how much it costs to hire a long term disability insurance attorney.
What can long term disability insurance lawyers do for you?
Long term disability lawyers know how insurance companies operate as they've seen the tactics insurers use to delay and deny valid long term disability claims and fight long term disability appeals tooth and nail by:
- delaying and denying long term disability claims for no valid reason - with the hope that policyholders won't fight back
- interpreting the term ″disability″ inconsistently
- losing claim forms that were correctly submitted
- sending policyholders the wrong claim forms
- using nurses to ″reapply″ restrictions and limitations without talking to your doctor or your employer about your job duties
Hiring a long term disability insurance lawyer puts you on equal ground with long term disability insurance companies - who may think twice about playing hardball with you if they know you've got experienced representation. With a long term disability insurance attorney on your side, you may improve your chances of winning as your long term disability attorney will review your medical records and long term disability policy, advocate on your behalf and provide your long term disability insurance carrier with an ″incentive″ to properly evaluate your claim.
How do you find and choose the right long term disability lawyer?
The most important reason to contact a long term disability lawyer who handles these types of cases is that he or she has experience, knows what to look for and knows how to get the company to pay the claim sooner rather than later. You need somebody who isn't scared to go up against some of these multi-billion dollar long term care insurance companies such as Unum, Reliance Standard, Liberty Mutual and others and fight them until you get the relief that they're entitled to based on the insurance contract.
In order to hire the right long term disability insurance attorney, it's important to speak with him or her to determine whether a good working relationship is possible. In that meeting, make sure to ask:
- How many years of experience do you have handling long term disability claims?
- How have the majority of those long term disability claims been resolved?
- With which long term insurance companies have you dealt?
- How many long term disability cases do you handle at one time?
How much do long term disability attorneys cost?
This is the sort of question that should always be asked early in the process. Long term disability insurance lawyers who handle Social Security claims, for example, are strictly regulated by the Social Security Administration (SSA) in terms of what they can charge. Long term disability claims, by contrast, involve private entities. However, many long term disability attorneys will work on a contingency basis (meaning that you pay no fee unless your case is won) and nearly all will provide the opportunity for a free consultation on a long term disability case.
