Hiring a long-term disability lawyer improves your chances of winning your long-term disability claim, whether you've been denied benefits by your long-term disability insurance company already or you haven't yet applied for long-term disability benefits. If you are covered by a long-term disability policy and you become unable to work due to an accident or extended illness, you are eligible for payments whether the accident happens at work or not. Unfortunately, insurance company claims administrators routinely deny disability applications unfairly, forcing many long-term disability applicants to appeal.

The first level of appeal is an internal appeal within your long-term disability (LTD) insurance company. While you may not win benefits at this stage, it's the most important step in the process. At this appeal, called an "administrative appeal," it's important to submit all of the medical evidence you'll need to win your claim (called "stacking the administrative record"), because if you lose the claim and have to file a lawsuit in federal court, you won't be allowed to submit new evidence at that point.

An experienced attorney knows the medical and nonmedical evidence you need to win a long-term disability claim based on your medical condition, including whether there are additional medical tests you should take, how to get your doctor to cooperate with requests for medical records or a written opinion, and whether to hire a vocational expert to give testimony on your behalf. An attorney can also help you take your claim to the next level of appeal:, federal court.

Pay Attention to the Appeal Deadline

If you receive a denial letter from the LTD insurance company, take note of the deadline to appeal on the notice of denial. All employer-sponsored plans, and most individually purchased plans, give you 180 days to appeal an initial denial. If you miss the 180-day deadline, you won't be allowed to sue your insurer in federal court because you have failed to "exhaust" your administrative appeals. File your appeal as soon as you can.

Eligibility for LTD Benefits

To qualify for long-term disability, you have to be unable to "substantially perform" the duties of any occupation or, under some LTD policies, just your own occupation. Your disability must usually last six months before long-term benefits kick in. Some policies exclude certain injuries or illnesses from coverage, such as pre-existing conditions, workplaces accidents, or illness caused by substance abuse.

Sign Up for a Free Long-Term Disability Case Evaluation

Fill out this form so that you can get a free case review from a local long-term disability lawyer in your area. A lawyer will contact you soon after you submit the form. You are under no obligation to hire any attorney who contacts you. Most LTD attorneys will charge you a fee only if you win your case.