When you have a family, you rely on steady employment to make sure you can provide for them. Unfortunately, life sometimes has different plans. An illness or injury could leave you unable to work, meaning you can’t bring home a paycheck.
However, if you’ve invested in long-term disability (LTD) insurance through your employer, you can file a claim to receive supplemental income. But what happens if you receive a denial letter for your benefits? If you plan to appeal, you may want to ensure you have legal representation on your side. Here are a few ways an attorney can help you:
Adding experience of the process
LTD insurance purchased through an employer has protections from the Employment Retirement Income Security Act, or ERISA. While these protections help ensure the applicant has a chance to appeal a denial, they may also be confusing to navigate.
An experienced attorney can help guide you through the ERISA appeals process, ensuring that you don’t make mistakes that could cost you your benefits.
Understanding how evidence helps a claim
In addition to knowing how the process works, attorneys experienced in ERISA also understand the importance of evidence. They will review any documentation from the insurance company that explains why the insurer denied benefits.
They can then use this information to let you know what you may need from your doctor to help build a stronger case for your claim. They also know that if you must take your claim to court, the judge may not consider new evidence and only look at what you submitted to the insurer.
Matching the knowledge of the insurance company
When you buy insurance to protect yourself from the limitations of a disability, you don’t expect to have to fight for coverage when you need it. Unfortunately, insurers have an economic interest in denying you benefits. Even if you feel you have a clear case to make a claim, they may try to use any excuse not to pay out. And since they process requests every day, they have much more experience than you do in fighting for their denials.
To put up a good fight, you may want someone on your side who can match the insurer’s knowledge. You won’t have to face them alone.
A denial doesn’t have to be the last word
A denial for LTD coverage can be devastating. You may worry about how you will continue to support your family if you can’t bring in an income. But by exploring your options and having someone fight for you, you may be able to appeal for much-needed benefits.