Private insurance companies generally take six weeks to six months to approve or deny claims for long-term disability benefits. When you are unable to work, that delay can leave you without resources to pay your bills and daily living expenses.
An experienced long-term disability lawyer understands the typical causes of delays in processing long-term disability claims. At Marc Whitehead & Associates, we work closely with you to reduce the number of delays in the insurance companies processing your claim.
Are there any valid reasons for an Insurance Company to delay processing a long-term disability claim?
Some of the more common, valid reasons that an insurance company might use to delay a disability claim include the following:
- The physicians and specialists treating your disability have not forwarded the necessary forms and paperwork to your insurance company.
- Your insurance company needs additional diagnostic tests and examinations to verify your disability.
- You submitted your claim weeks or months after the onset of your disability.
- You omitted some documents or information from your claim.
- Your insurance company needs to verify that your disability commenced after the elimination period in your policy.
An experienced long-term disability lawyer will anticipate these and other causes for delays and assist the claimant in preparing and filing a claim to minimize them.
Can an insurance company delay the processing of a disability claim without a good reason?
Certain private long-term disability insurance companies have garnered reputations for delaying and denying claims for improper reasons, for example:
- Challenging the claimant’s disability as not being within the definition of “disability” in the underlying policy.
- Demanding multiple independent medical evaluations.
- Arguing that the claimant should apply for other disability coverage (e.g., Social Security or Veteran’s Disability Benefits) first.
- Claiming that a disability is a pre-existing condition that originated before the coverage period of the policy.
Do not hesitate to call a long-term disability denial attorney if you suspect your insurance company is improperly delaying or denying your claim. Any hesitation on your part to assert your rights may work against you when you challenge or appeal a denial of your claim.
Call the Long-term Disability Attorneys at Marc Whiteheads & Associates
Marc Whitehead & Associates, Attorneys at Law, LLP, is dedicated to ensuring our clients get the disability benefits they deserve. Our highly experienced disability attorneys have helped clients all over the U.S. obtain the disability benefits they deserve even after an insurance company denied their initial claims. No money up-front. We don’t get paid unless you do. Call us for a free and confidential legal consultation.