Let’s say you are a solopreneur and all work product and revenue stems from you being able to work. What would happen if you were in a serious car accident? Would your business continue without you? For most soloprenurs and small business owners the though of this happening is paralyzing.
Disability insurance can be a lifesaver if you’ve been out of work for an extended period due to a serious injury or illness. However, navigating the claims process can be a frustrating task to tackle on your own. Here are three reasons you may need to hire an experienced disability attorney to assist you with your claim.
The Claims Process Is Complex
Long term disability policies are more complex than your average homeowners or auto policy and vary greatly from one company to the next.
A long term disability lawyer can help you interpret your policy to determine whether your injury or illness qualifies you for coverage, what percentage of your income you can expect to recover and when you can expect to start receiving benefits and for how long. Additionally, an attorney can be critical for ensuring that you don’t miss any important deadlines or make any mistakes in the claims process that could delay your claim or even result in a denial.
Disability Claims Are Frequently Denied
As many as 60% of applications for Canada Pension Plan benefits are denied. Private insurance plans similarly have relatively high claim denial rates. An experienced attorney can not only improve your chances of winning an appeal if your claim is denied but can decrease the chances of a denial happening in the first place.
Your Claim May Require a Lawsuit
If your valid disability claim is denied, you may need to file a lawsuit. A good attorney is vital to your chances of winning a disability lawsuit.
It’s probably obvious to you that an attorney would make the process of navigating a lawsuit much easier for you. You may not have considered that all of the work done on your claim prior to the lawsuit will greatly impact your chances of success. An attorney will make sure that the odds of winning a lawsuit are stacked in your favor from the start, by ensuring that all of the proper procedures have been followed, all of the deadlines have been met and your file is packed with medical records and other evidence that will persuade the court to decide in your favor.
Being without an income because of an injury or illness is a stressful time. Adding an experienced disability lawyer to your support team can help take the stress out of the claims process and allow you to focus on recovery.