Stiff person syndrome (SPS) Stiff person syndrome (SPS) is a rare, progressive syndrome that affects the nervous system, specifically the brain and spinal cord. Although very rare (Stiff Person Syndrome affects only 1 in a million people), McDonald & McDonald has represented several Long Term Disability Insurance clients who have suffered from SPS. The cause of stiff person syndrome is unknown, …
What You Need To Know To File A Long Term Disability Claim Under ERISA: Q. On what day did you become a plan member? This is very important because some plans require a waiting period before you become a plan member. The Plan may require you be employed 90 days before you become a plan …
Requirements For Filing A Long Term Disability (LTD) Insurance Claim Read More »
Fibromyalgia Claims Fibromyalgia is a disease that does not offer any objective evidence or test results. It has been difficult to “prove” for long-term disability claims in the past. In 2017 there were two strong decisions which overturned long-term disability benefit denials. Disabled claimants were entitled to long-term disability benefits for fibromyalgia. The 2017 rulings represent important …
Important Shifts in Fibromyalgia Proof for LTD cases 2017 Read More »
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus has been called The Great Pretender in certain medical circles. Here is some information on one of our most commonly represented illnesses. The Great Pretender Many people who suffer from Lupus go through long periods of misdiagnosis. Lupus can pretend to be many other illnesses, so depending on the symptoms, it is …
How can I be disabled but still be denied my insurance disability benefits? This is really a good question and the person asking the question is typically the disabled person. You have a lot of scenarios where the individual literally, genuinely, feels like they’re not going to be able to work. If you wanted a …
How Can I Be Disabled Yet Still Denied My Disability Insurance Benefits? Read More »
Own Occupation & Any Occupation In Long Term Disability Insurance The Misunderstood ‘own occupation’ & ‘any occupation’ definitions in Long Term Disability Insurance policies. Own occupation is typically defined in most insurance contracts as your job as it appears in the national economy. So if your particular job has a feature in it that most …
The difference between ‘Any Occupation’ and ‘Own Occupation’ Read More »
What is the difference between social security and long term disability? Long term disability is an insurance benefit typically provided by your employer as an employee benefit. The LTD plan document will lay out all the terms and conditions you must meet to receive disability insurance if you become disabled. Long Term Disability Insurance will …
What is the difference between Social Security (SS) and Long Term Disability (LTD) Read More »
If the insurance company sends you a denial, you have the legal right to an appeal in a long term disability case. The denial letter is really important because that denial letter is going to tell you that you have an ability to appeal. And the ability to appeal is not something that the insurance …
Do Not Appeal Your Long Term Disability Insurance Denial Without An ERISA Attorney Read More »
Chronic Conditions are the Root of Most Long Term Disability Cases Most Long Term Disability Insurance cases are the result of chronic conditions, rather than accidents or injuries. In our experience representing clients in Long Term Disability Insurance cases, very few disabilities are caused by injuries resulting from an accident. Most of our clients have …
Most Long Term Disabilities Are Caused By Chronic Conditions Read More »
We wanted to share this thoughtful article on ways to prevent disabled neighbors or family members from becoming isolated in our communities: Community inclusion is something that most of us take for granted. Most of us have the freedom and opportunity to form many different types of meaningful relationships with other people in our communities. …
