If the impairments caused by your lung cancer and its treatment mean you are no longer able to work, you may need to file a long-term disability (LTD) benefits claim to help pay your bills.
What Is Lung Cancer?
Cancer is a disease caused by the growth of abnormal cells within the body. The abnormal cells multiply out of control, replacing normal, healthy cells.
Lung cancer is cancer that affects the lungs. It’s the number one cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. There are two primary types of lung cancer: small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. Of the two, non-small cell lung cancer is the most common. Lung cancer can begin in the lungs or spread to the lungs from some other part of the body.
Some of the causes of lung cancer include::
- Smoking (The leading cause of lung cancer)
- Second-hand smoke
- Genetics
- Exposure to toxic chemicals and carcinogens such as asbestos
- Air pollution
- Radiation therapy
Most people with lung cancer don’t experience symptoms until the cancer is advanced. Symptoms of lung cancer can include:
- Coughing that gets worse or doesn’t go away
- Chest pain
- Coughing up blood
- Shortness of breath
- Wheezing
- Weight loss with no known cause
- Chronic fatigue
Getting Long-Term Disability Benefits for Lung Cancer Isn’t Always Easy
Many people purchase group long-term disability (LTD) insurance plans through their employer to provide supplemental income in the event they develop a disease like lung cancer and become too ill to work. However, in order to receive the benefits you deserve, you’ll have to show that the impairments caused by your lung cancer prevent you from performing any work of any kind.
Unfortunately, insurance companies are notorious for employing a wide variety of tactics to delay and deny a claim. Insurance providers often repeatedly request additional information, demand that you see “their” doctor, or unreasonably delay their review of your claim. They use these tactics to discourage policyholders from seeking the benefits they’ve paid for.
If an insurance company has denied your claim for LTD benefits for lung cancer, ERISA and other federal and state laws give you the right to appeal this decision. In some cases, hiring a long term disability attorney may be the only way to get the total benefits you are owed in a timely manner.
Get the LTD Benefits You Deserve
If your claim for LTD benefits has been denied, don’t give up. The law gives you the right to appeal an insurance company’s denial of disability benefits — but you only have a limited time in which to take action.
Marc Whitehead & Associates is a law firm dedicated to ensuring our clients get the disability benefits they deserve. Marc Whitehead is a highly experienced disability attorney who has helped clients all over the U.S. obtain the disability benefits they deserve even after an insurance company denied their initial claims. We’ve prevailed against some of the nation’s largest private insurance companies, including Cigna, United Healthcare, State Farm, and others.
If you need to file an LTD benefits claim for lung cancer, or your LTD benefits claim was denied, contact the law offices of Marc Whitehead & Associate through our website, or call us at 800-562-9830 to discuss your case. We will be able to answer any legal questions you may have and provide frank, professional advice on the best way to proceed with your disability claim.