Disability Insurance Claims

When you are fighting to receive disability benefits, you may hear reference to the Dictionary of Occupational Titles, or DOT. The above video mentions this as a source of vocational definitions.

The DOT is a database that identifies and defines the skills and knowledge a person needs to normally perform an occupation in the U.S. economy.

DOT is actually no longer updated – in fact, the last update was in 1999. Information now is often sourced from the Occupational Information Network (O*Net) – which technically replaces the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT). As you can see, each database links to the other as a shared source.

Our video mentions several ways we help our clients prove disability, one being to establish a correct functional capacity rating. To reach this rating, we start with a functional capacity exam, or evaluation (FCE).

The resulting information enables us to reach an objective rating of your level of physical disability, and whether you can perform the duties of your occupation.

This is a vital part of appealing a disability denial or preparing an initial disability claim.

The FCE serves as a valid and reliable assessment of whether you can work, or return to work. But the evaluation must be performed properly, and is never a stand-alone proof of disability.

As our video explains, there are big differences in how disability claims filed under group vs individual disability insurance plans are governed.

There seems to be a big divide in logic when examining ERISA laws (governing group benefits) versus state insurance and contract laws (governing individual disability insurance plans).

For the disabled claimant under a group policy, the system seem to be especially working against them if an insurer denies their claim for benefits.

In the video above, we explain the first steps in filing a group disability claim. But what’s the secret to filing an initial LTD claim that is successful?

Most people find the process of applying for disability insurance benefits — and actually getting the monthly payments they need — to be far more difficult and distressing than they ever expected.

The days when qualifying for disability was straightforward are over. An excessive number of people with valid disabilities are repeatedly denied before getting their disability claim approved. Today, disabled people across the nation are finding out that they need skilled legal representation throughout the claims process to (1) prove they are disabled and (2) prove …

Recently we went into detail about a disorder in the DSM-5 called Other Specified Somatic Symptom & Related Disorder. The idea behind this disorder is that sometimes people suffer from specific somatic issues that just don’t fit into the exact definition of any of the known somatic disorders. Doctors know that you are suffering from a somatic issue because there are specific somatic symptoms, but they can’t put you into a premade box.

What’s the difference between that and Unspecified Somatic Symptom & Related Disorder? Whereas in the previous condition the symptoms themselves were quite specific but just didn’t meet the definition of a particular somatic disorder, people suffering from this disorder aren’t even suffering from specific somatic symptoms.