Disability Insurance Lawyers Fighting Common Insurance Company Tactics
Insurance companies should not stand in the way of your long-term disability benefits. Edelstein Martin & Nelson has the experience and resources to address the tactics your insurance company may employ. Reach out to us today for a free case review.
Did you know that insurance company tactics often contribute to delays and denials in long-term disability claims? These strategies are employed by insurance companies to minimize their liability and protect their profits. If this has happened to you, you may be left feeling hopeless and uncertain of your options.
Insurance companies may use tactics like surveillance, delaying responses to claims, requesting excessive documentation, and biased medical evaluations to exasperate claimants and weaken their cases. These tactics create hurdles and make it difficult for individuals to obtain the long-term disability benefits they deserve. They hope to frustrate claimants so much that they just give up and stop pursuing benefits.
These tactics, though commonly employed, can have potential legal implications for the insurance company who engages in them. Insurance companies must act in good faith and fairly evaluate disability submissions. They may be held accountable under the law when they engage in unfair practices.
Fighting for Your Rights: Understanding Disability Insurance Tactics
The path to obtaining disability insurance benefits is often laden with obstructions designed by insurance companies to hinder claims. Unfortunately, these tactics can sometimes cause financial disaster for individuals who rightfully deserve these disability benefits. Knowing these tactics, you stand a greater chance to successfully obtain the benefits you need.
Deceptive Tactics: Why Insurance Companies Discourage Legal Counsel
Are you feeling the crushing weight of a denied disability insurance claim? You’re not alone. Many disabled individuals experience the same heartbreaking predicament. In most cases, disability insurance companies actively discourage policyholders from obtaining legal counsel. But why?
Understanding Insurance Companies’ Hidden Agendas
Insurance companies are businesses; like any business, they strive to maximize their profits. To achieve this goal, they discourage policyholders from seeking legal assistance. They know if a claimant has a lawyer representing them, it is more likely they will have to approve that person’s claim.
- Financial gain: With less legal resistance, insurance companies save money. When policyholders lack legal representation, claims can be more easily denied, underpaid, or even ignored, leading to company financial gains.
- Reduced accountability: If policyholders don’t have legal guidance, the companies face less responsibility. They can manipulate policy terms and conditions, use confusing language, or employ deceptive tactics with fewer consequences.
- Controlled narrative: Insurance companies maintain control over the case’s narrative by discouraging legal representation. They can shape the story in their favor, exploiting policyholders’ lack of legal knowledge.
Potential Exploitation by Insurance Companies
The power dynamic between insurance companies and policyholders typically favors the insurer. Companies may seize the opportunity to take advantage of policyholders’ legal ignorance. Unfamiliarity with insurance laws and insurance policies can lead to unfavorable outcomes, such as:
- Misinterpretation of policy terms and conditions
- Unjust denials based on technicalities
- Unawareness of policyholder rights and protections
The Power of a Disability Insurance Lawyer
Consulting with a disability insurance lawyer can help to level the playing field. A legal professional will:
- Interpret complex policy terms and conditions
- Guide you through the claims process, helping you avoid pitfalls
- Advocate for your rights, ensuring fair treatment
Don’t let insurance companies deter you from seeking legal counsel. Seek representation from a disability insurance lawyer to protect your rights and secure your future. There is strength in knowledge. The long-term disability insurance claim denial doesn’t have to be the end of your story; let it be the beginning of your fight for justice.
Quick and Cheap Disability Claim Settlements: The Bottom-Line Benefit for Insurance Companies
Insurance providers may attempt to settle claims quickly and cheaply to minimize their costs and increase profits.
For instance, if an insurance company can swiftly settle a disability claim with a single lump sum payment at a lower overall cost, they will likely make an offer to the claimant to do exactly that. This strategy removes their liability, ends the relationship with the claimant, keeps their reserves intact, and helps them meet their financial targets.
Disadvantages for Claimants: The Hidden Costs of Quick Settlements
While a bulk payment sounds nice, cheap disability claim settlements can create significant burdens for policyholders. The allure of immediate resolution might seem appealing initially, but it can overlook the true extent of their condition, leading to inadequate compensation that fails to cover their long-term needs. Here are the main reasons why accepting a lump sum may not be the best idea:
- Undervaluation of Claim: Insurers may downplay the severity of your disability, resulting in an undervalued claim that doesn’t adequately reflect your needs or losses.
- Neglect of Future Costs: Quick settlements might neglect to factor in future costs related to your disability, such as ongoing treatments, rehabilitation, or adaptive equipment.
- Unanticipated Complications: Your disability may worsen or lead to other health complications. Swift settlements render the insurance company free from having to pay for any future unexpected expenses.
Advocating for Fair Compensation
Your disability insurance should provide financial security in the face of adverse health conditions. If you don’t receive enough compensation, it can impact your ability to take care of your health, provide for your family, and enjoy a good quality of life.
A disability insurance lawyer can make a big difference in your situation. They will closely examine your claim, ensure all the costs are considered, and fight to get you the compensation you should receive. By standing up against insurance carriers and insisting on a fair settlement, you empower yourself to secure your financial future and uphold your rights as a policyholder.
Unmasking Disability Insurance Tactics: A Closer Look
Securing a disability claim can feel like an uphill battle, fraught with uncertainty and potential pitfalls. It’s not merely about submitting necessary documents, but also overcoming hurdles insurance providers put in place to discredit or deny disability claims.
Insurance Company Strategies Explained
One such strategy is video surveillance. Some insurance companies may hire private investigators to document your daily activities, hoping to find discrepancies between your claim and observed behavior. When insurers conduct surveillance, it may sound invasive, but it’s a prevalent practice.
- General Internet Searches: By investigating your online presence, they can gather information that may be used against your claim, such as social media posts that suggest you’re healthier than declared.
- Medical Opinions: Insurance providers may also downplay the opinion of your treating physician. Despite your physician’s detailed assessment of your health condition, insurers may argue the effects of your disability are not as severe as described.
- In-house “Specialists”: Sometimes, the insurance company may assign their own professionals to review your medical records and claim. Unfortunately, this can sometimes result in decisions that benefit the insurer more than you.
- Independent Medical Exams: This is a medical examination conducted by a doctor hired by the insurance company. While they are supposed to be impartial, these doctors may have ongoing relationships with disability insurers, potentially biasing their assessments.
- Functional Capacity Exams: These tests measure your physical strength, stamina, flexibility, and other abilities to determine your work capacity. However, a single day’s performance in an FCE may not accurately reflect your day-to-day abilities, especially with conditions that vary over time.
Many disability insurance policies and practices can mislead policyholders. By familiarizing yourself with these methods and reaching out for legal help, you have a much better chance of securing the benefits you need.
Disabilities Not Easily Observed
Life’s journey often presents unexpected obstacles, and there may come a time when disability sidelines you from the workforce. The challenge becomes even more complicated when your disability is not readily observable, like fibromyalgia or mental illness.
Suffering From Invisible Burdens
Fibromyalgia, a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory, and mood issues, doesn’t present itself in a way that’s easily observable to the naked eye.
Similarly, mental illnesses, such as depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder often have no outwardly visible symptoms. These invisible illnesses pose a unique challenge when filing for disability claims.
Proving your disability to insurers is no easy task, especially when your symptoms are invisible. Despite rigorous medical testing and a physician’s professional opinion, insurance firms may deny claims because the evidence is insufficient or inconclusive.
Challenges faced in these types of cases include:
- Explaining the severity of your condition: Conveying the level of impairment and pain, especially with conditions like fibromyalgia or chronic mental illness, is often problematic.
- Variability of symptoms: The unpredictable nature of these conditions makes it challenging to provide a consistent picture of your disability.
- Proving the long-term nature of the condition: Disability insurance usually requires proof that your situation may last at least a year or result in death.
The Role of Disability Lawyers and Their Network
Disability lawyers are not solitary figures. They work closely with a range of professionals to build strong cases. This interdisciplinary approach allows them to leverage various insights and skills, ensuring your claim gets the attention it deserves.
Key Contributors: Medical Professionals, Actuaries, and Vocational Experts
Each specialist brings a unique perspective to your case.
- Medical professionals offer insights into your condition, testifying about your physical limitations and ongoing medical needs.
- Actuaries assess the financial implications, such as the loss of potential income or increased medical expenses due to disability.
- Vocational experts evaluate your ability to perform job functions, highlighting any significant barriers to re-entering the workforce.
The collaboration between these specialists allows for a comprehensive examination of your situation, which is then meticulously documented to provide substantial support for your claim.
Clients We Represent
When the unexpected happens, and disability disrupts your professional journey, you need a trusted ally to represent your interests with conviction. We stand up for diverse professionals seeking rightful disability benefits. Our clientele comes from varied professional backgrounds, spanning across all of the working world. We stand up for all different types of professionals, including:
- Middle managers
- Paraprofessionals
- Accountants
- Lawyers
- Physicians
Our roster extends further, including engineers, medical professionals, small business owners, professional athletes, and many other skilled individuals who make up today’s diverse workforce. No matter what your role has been in the workforce, we want to help.
How a Disability Lawyer Can Help You
A disability lawyer is a trusted ally for people seeking long-term disability benefits. They have extensive legal knowledge and work tirelessly to help you win your case. They can take on the burden of your disability claim so you can concentrate on caring for yourself.
Their knowledge of insurance laws and regulations is priceless. They fully grasp the intricate details and subtle factors that can impact the outcome of your claim.
Additionally, they are adept at handling the complexities of the claim process. Their proficiency in these areas results in an improved understanding of your claim and, more importantly, its potential for success.
A key skill is their ability to negotiate. They are seasoned professionals who know how to communicate effectively with insurance carriers. Their negotiations ensure that your rights are upheld and your claim receives a fair evaluation.
Trust Edelstein Martin & Nelson With Your Disability Claim
At Edelstein Martin & Nelson, we are known for our unwavering commitment to individuals pursuing disability insurance claims. If your claim has been delayed or denied, consider seeking our counsel. Our lawyers are here to help. With specialized experience and skills, we understand how to meet the unique needs and struggles of individuals with disabilities.
Your rights are our utmost priority. Our law firm strives to provide robust representation to help all of our clients get the benefits they are entitled to. Don’t navigate the stormy seas of disability claims alone. Rely on the trusted legal counsel of Edelstein Martin & Nelson.
Fight Back Against Insurance Company Tactics: Contact Edelstein Martin & Nelson for Effective Disability Claim Representation
Insurance companies often employ questionable tactics to discourage policyholders from seeking legal counsel, and they try to settle disability claims quickly and cheaply, or deny them altogether. Our attorneys at Edelstein Martin & Nelson, LLP have witnessed everything from a creative interpretation of policy language to blatant acts of bad faith.
Our disability insurance law firm can assist with your disabilty claim no matter what the issue is. We know about dealing with tactics like conducting surveillance, minimizing doctors’ opinions, and misinterpreting policy provisions.