Chronic Pain Disability Insurance Benefits Claim

Disability insurance carriers often challenge a diagnosis of chronic pain

Disability carriers are constantly denying claims on the basis that a client does not have sufficient objective medical evidence to be disabled by chronic pain. The sad thing about this statement is that the cause of chronic pain is not always known and there are no objective tests that can 100% confirm a diagnosis of chronic pain. Manipulative doctors hired by insurance companies are aware that a client can almost never objectively prove they have chronic pain and they wrongfully draft reports denying claims on the basis of no objective evidence.

Many long-term disability carriers are selling policies that limit benefits to 24 months if you are disabled by non-verifiable pain complaints, also known as self-reported pain. The disability carriers consider chronic pain to be a medical condition that is based on self-reported claims of pain (subjective complaints) and other limitations. Most policies do not require objective evidence of disability, therefore in most cases a disability claim should be approved based on subjective complaints only. A claimant disabled by chronic pain must have a very supportive treating physician in order to properly document the restrictions and limitations in support of disability.

How Can Disability Insurance Attorneys Dell & Schaefer Assist You?

As disability insurance attorneys, Dell & Schaefer have represented numerous long term disability claimants that have been unable to work as a result of being diagnosed with chronic pain. Disability Attorneys Dell & Schaefer have an expansive understanding of the significant restrictions and limitations that a person with chronic pain must live with on a daily basis. We have worked closely with top physicians in order to sufficiently satisfy a disability carrier’s threshold of evidence necessary to prove that a client is disabled by chronic pain.

Not everyone suffering with chronic pain qualifies for long-term disability benefits, therefore the medicals records of each client must be reviewed to determine the level of restrictions. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your long-term disability claim.

What is chronic pain?

While acute pain is a normal sensation triggered in the nervous system to alert you to possible injury and the need to take care of yourself, chronic pain is different. Chronic pain is persistent. Pain signals keep firing in the nervous system for weeks, months, sometimes even years. Nearly 10% of Americans suffer from mild to severe chronic pain.

Chronic pain may be triggered by an initial incident such as a sprained back, serious infection, or there may be an ongoing cause such as arthritis, cancer or infection. However, some people suffer chronic pain in the absence of any past injury or indication of body damage or disease. Some common chronic pain complaints include headache, back pain, neurogenic pain (pain that results from damage to the peripheral nerves or to the central nervous system), and psychogenic pain (pain not due to past disease or injury or any other visible sign of damage inside or outside the nervous system).

How is chronic pain treated?

There are no objective tests to detect pain or measure its intensity and complete relief from chronic pain is rare.

Chronic pain is treated in a variety of ways including medications, acupuncture, local electrical stimulation, brain stimulation, and surgery. Psychotherapy, relaxation techniques such as deep breathing and meditation, exercise, physical therapy, biofeedback, and behavior modification may also be utilized to treat chronic pain.

How the symptoms of chronic pain can affect you

The consequences of chronic pain extend well beyond the feeling of pain itself. Additional physical effects can include poor wound healing, weakness and muscle breakdown, decreased movement that can lead to blood clots, shallow breathing and suppressed coughing that raise the risk of pneumonia, sodium and water retention in the kidneys, raised heart rate and blood pressure, weakened immune system, a slowing of gastrointestinal motility, difficulty sleeping, loss of appetite and weight, and fatigue.

The psychological and social consequences of chronic pain can be immeasurable. Unrelenting pain can rob a person of the ability to enjoy life, maintain personal and professional relationships and maintain responsibilities.

The economic burdens can also be severe, especially when the patient is the primary wage earner for the family. Only about half of patients with chronic pain are able to return to work even after they have undergone comprehensive treatment and therapy.

Resources

There are many valuable sources of chronic pain disease information available. You can access resources over the internet such as:

• American Chronic Pain Association
• American Pain Foundation
• American Pain Society

Please post your comment:

Please be advised that your comment will be public. Any information contained on our website is for informational purposes only and not legal advice. If you are seeking assistance with your claim, then please use our confidential Free Consultation form.

Your message:

Your name:

Your email:

Please note: The comments are moderated.
Your comment will need to be approved before it will appear on this page. Your name will appear with the comment, but your email address will not be posted. No off topic post will be accepted. Our attorneys may respond to your comment.

Send me an email each time there's a new comment on this page

Subscribe without commenting:

Please enter your email to be notified each time there's a new comment on this page:

« More disabling conditions