If you suffer from a chronic illness or life changing injury and you are unable to work for an extended period, you may have already found that filing a long-term disability claim can no doubt be an extremely frustrating and complicated process. if your disability insurance company has cut-off or denied your long term disability benefits, you have the full option and right to retain a disability lawyer to help file a case and appeal your denial.
Remember, if you do retain a lawyer, it is absolutely essential to hire a local disability insurance law firm that has the experience, resources and trial experience to fight for you. If you have a disability insurance claim in the St.Catharines or surrounding area, contact our disability insurance lawyers for a free consultation.
Long-term disability generally obligates an insurance company to provide disability claimants predetermined monthly payouts (either a fixed amount or a portion of the salary). Benefits are handed out under the condition that the claimant satisfies the policy definitions of “total disability.”
Unfortunately, according to most LTD policies in Canada, a claimant has “total disability” when they are not able to function at their own job during the first two years of the injury or illness. Beyond that time-frame, a claimant does not meet the requirement for “total disability” if their injury or illness still allows them to perform tasks (at any job) that is marginally related to their experience and education. At this point, most disability insurers will deny any long-term disability benefits. Do not let this deter you from pursuing what you are owed. Entrust your case to experienced disability lawyers in St. Catharines. Lalande Personal Injury Lawyers will be with you every step of the way and aggressively pursue the case till its conclusion. We will help get your monthly income reinstated.
No. More times than not our have a telephone conversation first, and then we are happy to visit you in the comfort of your own home, We understand that our clients are often suffering with serious chronic conditions or life changing injuries that prevent them from traveling. We are more than happy to bring you the required documentation to sign to get your disability case started.
It is important that if you are sick or injured, you should try and deal with your disability claim on your own.
When Ontario disability insurers see that a claimant is unrepresented they will often try to expedite the claims process as quickly as they can before the claimant catches on and retains a denied disability lawyers. They may recommend you to their own team of in-house medical practitioners — qualified or not in your area of particular disability– to perform so called “independent” medical assessments. Other tactics include surveillance or monitoring your activities to obtain “proof” that your medical records are inaccurate or falsified. They may also go so far as to suggest
that you “choose” to be disabled or you simply do not want to work.
If you or a loved one is suffering from a serious illness or injury, objective or not, which prevents you you from making a living, the last thing you need is fighting to prove your totally disabled as per your insurance policy. Most insurance policies in Ontario has a similar definition of “disability” – being that you must be totally disabled from any occupation for which you are reasonably suited by education, training and experience after 24 months. During the first 2 yeas you must only be disabled from doing you “own occupation” – which allows many claims to be paid for at least and then terminated at the 24 month mark.
Essentially yes. Typically a long-term disability policy (in most cases group policies issued through your employer) will mandate that you suffer a total disability in the first 24 months of your disability. Total disability means that you are unable to complete the substantial duties of your own occupation – i.e. your responsibilities and obligations at your place of employment prior to the onset of your disability. After 24 months, the definition of total disability changes – meaning that you must be unable to complete the substantial duties of any occupation for which you are reasonably suited by your education, training and experience.
remember, if you become disabled because of injury or illness and you are covered by private or group disability insurance (i.e. through your employer) you most likely have a policy which mandates that you must suffer a “total disability” in order to collect your pre-determined monthly benefit. It is important that you speak to a lawyer to discuss your long-term disability policy and your entitlement to benefits. Don’t give up the fight.
Long-term disability policies are meant to protect a person who is unable to work due to a serious injury or a severe illness (whether psychological or physical). The overall purpose of these policies are to help protect an a person who is sick or injured by providing them with a pre-determined stipulated monthly disability benefit in lieu of lost income. If your long-term disability claim has been denied or cut-off, our disability lawyers in St. Catharines will help you get your monthly income back on track.
Our St-Catharines disability lawyers have extensive experience in handling disability cases with the biggest disability insurance companies in Canada. We represent claimants Province-wide who are suffering from injuries, as well as mental illness including(but not limited to):
Denied disability benefits in or around St. Catharines is surprisingly common. Like many disability policyholders, you were probably a part of a group disability plan or you probably purchased a private plan, expecting that you would have no problem getting benefits if you became sick or hurt. You now feel like your disability is your adversary. If you need to speak to a St. Catharines disability specialist free of charge please please contact us at 905-333-8888 today or speak to our live chat operator to set up an appointment. As for traveling to our office: If you reside a fair distance away from our office, you do not have to inconvenience yourself the journey. Give us a call and we will gladly travel to your area and meet you. As for the consultation fees, you never pay for a consultation or to file your legal claim. We will never ask you for money upfront.
I was a dental hygienist that suffers from really bad scoliosis. My insurance company ignored my doc & cut my benefits off & told me I could do “something”. Matt got me CPP Disability and and LTD settlement – I don’t know what I would have done without him.
My daughter was killed by a drunk driver and it forever changed all of our lives. It seemed that for two years time stopped. This was no an easy journey. Matt let me sit in on the discovery of the driver and boy, he never let up. In the end, our grand-daughter was taken care of and we were compensated for our loss – which we then donated to a cause we believed in.
I call Matt my knight in shining armour. After I was struck by a car while cycling and permanently crippled, he fielded all communications with my especially difficult and downright nasty insurance adjuster. Every step of my care was a battle and I did not have the strength to fight alone.
I lost my leg in a terrible motorcycle accident and Matt help me recover compensation I need because I could not work and the cost of prosthetics and rehab are out of this world. I don’t know what I would have done without him.
My brother ended up paralyzed after a car accident and Lalande did SO MUCH to help get things straight from him getting out of the hospital to all his care for life. We are so grateful for Matt & Heather. I don’t know how my family could have done this without them.
