As a skilled professional, you purchased disability insurance because you understood that even a minor injury or illness could jeopardize your practice or business. You probably paid top dollar for a plan with good benefits, and now that you need it, you fear the insurance company won’t pay.
If you are a business owner or professional and you are planning to file for disability benefits or your claim for disability benefits has been denied, you need experienced legal representation. Disabled worker attorney Jonathan M. Feigenbaum, Esquire, provides effective legal help to doctors, dentists, lawyers, engineers, architects, and other professionals who carry individual disability insurance.
Features of Individual Long Term Disability Policies for Professionals
You probably purchased a policy that provides better coverage than the typical employer sponsored group plan. Your policy may replace a higher percentage of your income, as well as a portion of your lost bonuses and commissions. You may have chosen a policy that provides benefits for an extended duration or even for life.
Most importantly, you probably purchased an “own occupation” policy; that is, a policy that pays you benefits so long as you cannot perform your own occupation. With this type of policy, to qualify for benefits, you don’t need to prove you can’t do any job, just that you can’t do yours. Considering the care you took to select a policy that would provide the best protection to your family, you are probably doubly frustrated if your benefits are not being paid promptly.
Career-Ending Disabilities
Professional positions are extremely demanding. Many illnesses and injuries that don’t preclude work altogether can be career ending for a professional.
High stress, long or irregular hours, and frequent travel are characteristic of many professions. Conditions from ischemic heart disease to hypertension to Crohn’s Disease to autoimmune disorders can be exacerbated by these requirements. Disorders that cause fatigue, such as multiple sclerosis, chronic hepatitis, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome, can rob you of the vitality essential to your profession.
Professionals must possess the ability to recall vast amounts of information, superlative analytical skills, critical judgment, quick mental processing speed, and the ability to read people and appreciate nuances of speech and facial expression. Minor deficits in cognitive ability that you barely notice in day-to- day life can compromise your performance as a professional. Mild cognitive impairment can be a feature of a vast number of conditions too numerous to mention, as well as a side effect of medication.
For medical, surgical, and dental professionals, any condition that interferes with hand-eye coordination or manual dexterity can be disabling, from rheumatoid arthritis, to bulging cervical disks, to Parkinson’s Disease.
You should understand that it’s not your diagnosis per se that renders you disabled, but rather the impact of your symptoms on your ability to work. Disabled worker attorney Jonathan M. Feigenbaum knows how to collect and present the evidence that links your symptoms to your restrictions and limitations. This is the evidence long term disability insurers demand before approving a claim.
Helping Professionals and Protecting Their Rights
The reasons insurers give for a denied claim or a delayed payment are many. Sometimes, the reasons are valid, other times they are not. In some instances, the insurance companies have made a mistake. However, in other instances, the insurance companies are acting in bad faith. You can rest assured that attorney Jonathan M. Feigenbaum will protect your rights, from the initial application and appeal through litigation, if needed. When professionals pay their premiums, they have a reasonable expectation that their insurance provider will cover them in their time of need.
Contact Our Boston Disabled Worker Attorney
If you are a professional who is ready to file a disability claim or whose claim has been denied, we can help. Contact us online or call 617-357-9700 or 866-396-9722 (toll free) to schedule an appointment to discuss your situation.
