Heart Disease Disability Insurance Benefits Claim
View Disability Cases Involving Heart Disease Disability Insurance Benefits Claim
Disability insurance carriers often claim that heart conditions are not disabling. How can disability insurance attorneys Dell & Schaefer assist you?
Heart disease is a very common cause of long-term disability claims. The difficulty with heart condition claims is that many disability carriers are of the opinion that a claimant should be able to return to work following heart surgery or if the claimant’s symptoms are controlled by medications.
The major disabling elements that the disability companies often ignore are the fatigue caused by heart disease, the negative effect of stress in the work environment on a person’s cardiac condition, and the side effects of the medications used to treat heart disease. Our disability lawyers have handled numerous disability insurance claims where claimants have had multiple heart attacks, but a subsequent stress test will show normal results. This type of normal cardiac report does not mean a claimant is not disabled. The disability carriers are notorious for evaluating a claimant’s medical records and ignoring the subjective complaints which prevent the claimant from returning to work.
As disability insurance attorneys, Dell & Schaefer have represented numerous long term disability claimants that have been unable to work as a result of suffering heart disease. Disability Attorneys Dell & Schaefer have an expansive understanding of the significant restrictions and limitations that a person with heart disease 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 heart disease.
Not everyone suffering with heart disease 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.
You can contact us for a free initial consultation.
Heart disease is a very broad term used to describe a range of diseases that affects your heart, and in some cases, your blood vessels. There are various diseases that fall under the umbrella of heart disease include diseases of your blood vessels, such as coronary artery disease; heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias); and heart defects you’re born with (congenital heart defects).
The term “heart disease” is often used interchangeably with “cardiovascular disease”. Cardiovascular disease is a term that generally refers to conditions that involve narrowed or blocked blood vessels that can lead to a heart attack, chest pain (angina) or stroke. Other heart conditions, such as infections and conditions that affect your heart’s muscle, valves or beating rhythm also are also considered forms of heart disease.
Heart disease is the No. 1 leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. There are many risk factors to heart disease including age, family history, smoking, poor diet, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, diabetes, obesity, physical inactivity, high stress and poor hygiene. Despite all of this, heart disease is also the most preventable disease as many forms of heart disease can be treated with healthy changes to lifestyle such as exercise, eating healthy and not smoking.
There are different types of heart disease that can be disabling
Heart disease symptoms vary and are dependant upon what type of heart disease you have.
While cardiovascular disease can refer to many different types of heart or blood vessel problems, the term is often used to mean damage caused to your heart or blood vessels by atherosclerosis, which is a buildup of fatty plaques in your arteries. Over time, however, too much pressure in your arteries can make the artery walls thick and stiff, restricting blood flow to your organs and tissues. This is called arteriosclerosis, (hardening of the arteries). Atherosclerosis is the most common form of this disorder. Atherosclerosis is also the most common cause of cardiovascular disease.
Heart disease may be caused by a heart arrhythmia (an abnormal heartbeat). Your heart may beat too quickly, too slowly, or irregularly if you have an arrhythmia. Heart arrhythmia symptoms can include: fluttering in your chest, racing heartbeat, slow heartbeat, chest pain, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, dizziness and cause fainting.
Heart disease symptoms may also be caused by serious congenital heart defects (a defect you’re born with) and usually become evident during the first few hours, days, weeks and months of a persons life. Heart defect symptoms could include: pale gray or blue skin coloring, swelling in the legs abdomen or eyes, shortness of breath.
Less serious congenital heart defects are often not diagnosed until later in childhood or even adulthood. Signs and symptoms of congenital heart defects that usually aren’t immediately life-threatening and can include: easily becoming short of breath, tiring easily, fluid build up in the heart and lungs, swelling in the hands ankles or feet.
Heart disease may be caused by cardiomyopathy (the thickening and stiffening of heart muscle). In early stages of cardiomyopathy, you may have no symptoms at all. As the condition worsens symptoms may include; shortness of breath during activity or even at rest, swelling of the legs, ankles and feet, fatigue, irregular heartbeats that feel rapid, dizziness and fainting.
Heart infections may also cause heart disease. There are three types of heart infections: Pericarditis, which affects the tissue surrounding the heart (pericardium); Myocarditis, which affects the muscular middle layer of the walls of the heart (myocardium); and Endocarditis, which affects the inner membrane that separates the chambers and valves of your heart (endocardium). Varying slightly with each type of infection, heart infection symptoms can include: fever, shortness of breath, weakness or fatigue, swelling of the legs or abdomen, changes in your heart’s rhythm, a dry persistent cough and skin rashes.
Heart disease symptoms may also be caused by valvular heart disease. The heart has four valves: the aortic, mitral, pulmonary and tricuspid valves. Valves may be damaged by a variety of conditions leading to narrowing (stenosis), leaking (regurgitation or insufficiency) or improper closing (prolapse). Depending on which valve isn’t working properly, valvular heart disease symptoms generally include: fatigue, shortness of breath, irregular heartbeat, a heart murmur, chest pain and fainting.
Each person lives with heart disease differently. Some people are able to manage their symptoms through lifestyle changes such as changing their diet, stopping smoking, and taking medications. Others may need medical procedures such as angioplasty or surgery.
Resources
There are many valuable sources of heart disease information available. You can also access resources over the internet such as:
There are numerous charities dedicated to heart disease research, prevention and treatment including:
Not everyone suffering with heart disease 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.
You can contact us for a free initial consultation.
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We respond the same day. We represent disability insurance claimants all over the United States.
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Disability benefits cases involving Heart Disease:
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