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Lyme disease: securing benefits for a challenging disability

On Behalf of | Aug 12, 2020 | Long Term Disability Claim Denial

We stress an obvious point at the national ERISA Law Center concerning injury-causing catalysts.

That is this: It doesn’t take something outsized to turn an individual’s life upside down and render it replete with challenges over a long term.

Consider Lyme disease, an often cited yet frequently misunderstood malady that can yield devastating consequences for an afflicted person. We underscore on our pro-disability victims’ website that, “A tick that is no larger than the head of a thumbtack has the power to permanently change your life.”

That is instantly concerning, of course, but made further problematic by insurers’ often resistant responses to valid Lyme disease disability claims.

Put another way: Insurance companies often – even routinely – offer nothing but negative blowback when a disabled claimant suffering from the pernicious effects of Lyme disease calls upon them to contractually act in good faith.

And they often do so confidently, given that the disease can yield varied symptoms that don’t always align in precisely the same way in every victim. That is a convenience for insurers, who argue that an ailment is something other than Lyme disease and not covered in a policy.

The symptoms of Lyme disease can manifest in different ways. Here are some common indicators, which often work in interrelated ways:

  • A bulls-eye rash termed erythema migrans that is often observed on a victim’s skin
  • Nervous system complications
  • Joint pain
  • Debilitating fatigue
  • Heart-linked issues
  • Symptoms that are mirrored in flu

It is hard enough to deal with Lyme disease even when an insurer is responding in above-board fashion. An individual who conversely confronts bureaucratic behavior obviously bent upon claim denial or termination might reasonably consider contacting an aggressive and insurance-savvy legal team without delay.

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