If you have been unfortunate enough to have been involved in a major accident or have developed a serious illness that has forced you to stop work, you can still cover your and your family’s living costs by making a claim for financial assistance. However, the process is not that simple. Life at a difficult time could be made less stressful if making a long-term disability claim were straightforward, but it isn’t.
Phillips and McCrea, PLLC has written a beginner’s guide to file a long-term disability claim in order to help you navigate the complicated process. This will provide the information necessary to submit the disability income claim correctly the first time.
Getting Started
Be prepared: The worker must have a copy of their disability income policy provided by their employer or the private insurance company contracted to provide that disability income. It is necessary to be able to identify and understand the specific terms provided for in the policy.
Be clear: When filling out the forms, it is imperative to provide clarity about the occupational duties of the insured individual’s job. Avoiding several pitfalls in the form-filling process will make the process of filing an income disability claim much easier and increase the chances of success. All information submitted with the disability income filing form should support the idea that the medical condition prevents the claimant from performing the duties of his occupation. That is the job they were performing the day they became disabled.
Next Steps
Provide the right information: Failing to provide information that clearly supports the inability to perform the occupation being performed at the point of disability is a no-no. You must also avoid providing a physician’s statement that does not clearly validate the disability being reported. If incomplete information requires further clarification, claimants run the risk of the disability income claim being denied or contested.
Tell the truth: You should not give the appearance that the claimant is choosing not to return to work when the cause of disability and the doctor’s report indicate that recovery could, and should, be possible. Problems will also arise if there appears to be a marginal or partial disability being stretched into a total disability.
Advice From The Pros
Hire a professional: Do not attempt to do this alone. It is best to retain an attorney experienced with disability matters. An attorney can read through your policy, deconstruct it, and analyze its terms. They can review the facts of your case and compare them to your policy to determine if you have a condition that warrants a long-term disability claim.
If you are looking for family law and injury attorneys in Charlotte, NC, reach out to us at Phillips and McCrea, PLLC. We are a dynamic injury practice law firm dedicated to zealously representing our clients. Our personal injury and family law firm is committed to treating our clients with the utmost respect and providing them with the highest quality legal service. We offer our attorney services for situations like social security disability, estate administration-probate, estate planning, family law, medical malpractice, personal injury, worker’s compensation, and wrongful death to clients across Charlotte, NC.
To learn more about the services we offer, please contact us.