Our Lawyers Get Your Long-Term Disability Benefits Paid
98% percent of our clients collect disability benefits. We have helped thousands of disability insurance claimants throughout the USA to collect hundreds of millions of dollars of disability insurance benefits. Thank you for considering our law firm to help you.
You can greatly increase your chances of long term disability insurance benefit approval by learning all about the claim handling tactics of your disability insurance company.
Discover How Your Disabling Condition Should be Presented to Your Disability Company
Disability insurance companies always argue that Diagnosis does not equal disability. Proving that your medical condition is disabling is the most challenging aspect of any long term disability insurance claim.
Explore How Disability Companies Evaluate Your Occupation
Disability insurance companies are notorious for minimizing your occupational duties. This technique is used as a tool to prove that you can perform duties which differ from the job you actually performed while working.
Knowledge is Power. We Want You To Know Everything About Disability Insurance Claims.
We hope you enjoy these great resources and we invite you to ask our lawyers any questions or leave a review about your experience with your disability insurance company.
Established in 1979, we are a nationwide law firm that helps individuals collect disability insurance benefits. Through our experience of helping thousands of claimants throughout the USA to collect over $500 million in disability benefits, we know exactly what it takes to get your benefits paid. We welcome you to contact us for a free phone consultation with one of our lawyers.
Don’t Ignore Disability Insurance. Here’s What to Buy.
Disability insurance is one of the most important insurance products, yet the vast majority of people working don’t have it. 35% of employers in the USA offer disability insurance as an employee benefit and the coverage is referred to as a group disability insurance policy. Individuals also have the option to purchase an individual or private disability policy from an insurance agent.
As disability insurance attorneys that help people get paid disability insurance benefits, people commonly ask us:
Is disability insurance worth paying for?
What kind of disability insurance policy should I buy?
In order to answer these two popular questions, disability insurance attorneys Gregory Dell and Rachel Alters sat down to discuss the value of having a disability insurance policy and to explain variations in the different types of disability insurance policies.
Why do you recommend for people to have disability insurance coverage?
RACHEL ALTERS: Everyone should have a disability policy, no matter where they work, no matter how much money they make. It is very important to protect yourself if all of a sudden one day you get sick, get in an accident, and you can’t go to work for an extended period of time. Consider how you’d pay for your mortgage, groceries, medical bills, everything. Most people don’t see themselves ever needing it, and those are the people that usually end up needing disability policies. I absolutely recommend that everybody exercise the option for disability if offered by an employer and buy a private disability policy on their own if they can.
There are a lot of stories about long term disability insurance denials, but how often are these disability benefit claims approved?
GREGORY DELL: The National Association of Disability Insurance Companies says that 90% of disability insurance claims are approved. Like any other type of insurance claim, disability insurance companies aren’t just going to dish out money for a claim. Health insurance, auto insurance, homeowner’s insurance, or renter’s insurance are the most common forms of insurance. If you’ve ever had a claim, there are requirements that you have to satisfy. No matter what kind of claim, you have to follow the terms and conditions of the policy. You’ve got to know how to play the game so that you can put your claim in the best position possible to get paid, and that same strategy applies to whether it’s short-term or long-term disability insurance claims.
RACHEL ALTERS: The truth is that most of the disability insurance claims are approved. Clients call all the time saying they should never have gotten their disability insurance policy. What was the point? Once they hire me and I help them with the claim and I get them approved or we end up getting them a good settlement, they’re always happy that they had the policy. At the moment where they get denied, they say that the policies aren’t good. Everybody should have an insurance policy, even if you have to fight to get the carrier to approve the claim.
If my company offers disability insurance, why is it important to also have an individual policy?
GREGORY DELL: The policy with your employer is only good as long as you continue to have employment with that employer. If you end up switching jobs or you get fired and you’re not disabled at the time, then your policy is done. It’s the same thing if you’re a university professor and you get a new job. You’d lose your policy that you had for years. If you go to try to buy an individual policy after having group coverage for ten or fifteen years, it’s going to be two or three times the expense that it used to be. Age and health are big factors – the younger and healthier you are, the less expensive the policy will be.
The group disability policies are not portable. Very rarely you can convert them to an individual policy. Usually, when you leave your employment, you lose your policy. That’s scary because not everyone stays with the same employer for their entire working career. Your new employer may not have group disability insurance, so it would have been nice to have your own individual policy that goes with you. Another thing to remember is that a disability policy that you buy on your own covers you for the job you were performing when you became disabled. Let’s say you were a cardiac surgeon at the time you bought your policy, but you changed careers and became a carpenter because you didn’t want to do heart surgery anymore. If you have an injury or a sickness while you’re a carpenter, your individual policy is going to cover you from your occupation as a carpenter, not as a cardiac surgeon. That’s very valuable because the policy is fluid, following you throughout your life to cover you no matter what you’re doing.
What do you recommend for someone who is looking to purchase an individual policy?
GREGORY DELL: There are a lot of great agents out there that sell disability insurance policies. I highly recommend that you speak with an agent that is very experienced in selling them. Certain agents focus on doctors, others focus on business people. Some agents know how to handle everybody. Rachel and I, or any of our lawyers, are happy to make agent or disability company recommendations for you. We’re also available to take a look at a policy or answer questions. We encourage you to subscribe to our YouTube channel because as you go through this process we have lots information that will answer all of your questions about long term disability insurance.
If you ever need to file a disability insurance claim down the road, we want to be there to help you. We have our opinions about which companies to buy policies from, which not to, and which policies are better for certain occupations. You can search through our website, look up your company, and look at the different stories and the reviews of each disability company. We have a lot of reviews about all the companies, probably one of the greatest resources on the entire internet for reviews of disability insurance companies so that you can get a flavor for who’s doing what. Feel free to give any of our lawyers a call.
Does disability benefit approval mean that you’re going to stay on claim for as long as you need those benefits?
GREGORY DELL: No. Every month disability insurance companies evaluate a claimant’s eligibility for disability benefits. It’s not hard to remain eligible but you need to make sure you understand all of the requirements of your policy to stay on claim. We manage long term disability insurance claims on a monthly basis for all of our clients so we always know all of the insurance company tactics.
What’s the best type of long term disability policy to buy?
RACHEL ALTERS: If you’re buying an individual policy from a broker, the best type of policy is an “own occupation” policy that will cover you until you are at least age 65 if you cannot perform the substantial duties of your own occupation. What that means is, at the time you become disabled, whatever your occupation is, whether you’re a doctor, a lawyer, a legal secretary, you own a company, whatever it is that you do is your occupation. If you become disabled and can’t do your specific job, the insurance carrier will pay you your monthly benefits. Then you can go and do another job with different skills and continue to collect total disability benefits. If you’re a nurse and can no longer perform that duty because of a physical injury, you could review medical records. You could sit at a desk all day and still earn money in another job while you’re getting paid under this policy. A true own occupation policy is the best policy to purchase. They may be a little more expensive, but it’s extremely worth it.
What kinds of different terms and conditions should a person ask for when buying a disability insurance policy?
GREGORY DELL: First it’s important to understand that if your employer is offering group disability insurance coverage, then the employer has already negotiated the policy language and there is nothing you can do to change it. The employer provided group disability insurance policy has policy language that is the same for every similarly situated employee at your company.
If you are buying a disability insurance policy from an insurance agent, Rachel mentioned the most important policy language, which is a true own-occ definition of disability, but there are less expensive definitions of disability that you can purchase. Buying a disability insurance policy is like adding options onto a car that you would order. These policies are billed annually and paid monthly. You usually get an “own occupation” definition of disability that lasts for two years. Then after that, it changes to an “any occupation” definition of disability, which means that you’re unable to perform the duties of any gainful occupation for which you have experience, education, and training. An own occupation definition is preferable because it covers the duties of your occupation at the time you became disabled, as opposed to any occupation. With an “any occupation” definition the disability insurance company could say they think that you could do another job that you would probably have the qualifications to do but is nothing like the skills of what you used to do.
You also pay a higher price for a shorter elimination period, which is the period of time that you have to be unable to work before you’re eligible to make a claim. The elimination period is usually 180 days, buy them as short as 30 to 90 days. The longer the elimination period, the lower the premium’s going to be. Most people purchase a 90 day elimination period.
Rachel mentioned a disability policy that pays to age 65, but some policies only pay for 24 months, 5 years, or they could pay for your lifetime. A policy that will pay for the rest of your life is going to be a lot more money.
What is a cost of living Increase option in a disability policy?
RACHEL ALTERS: Disability insurance policies are standard with a set monthly amount that will be the same for each month that you remain eligible. The disability companies offer a Cost of Living increase (COLA) rider which will raise you disability benefit every 12 months by either a fixed percentage or the percentage in which the consumer price index increases. A person should buy a disability policy with a Cost of Living increase option because your benefit can increase each year. A COLA is a really good option because it doesn’t usually cost that much to have in the policy and it can increase the benefit greatly over several years.
Why is the “national economy” definition of disability bad for disability claimants?
RACHEL ALTERS: Disability insurance companies mislead people into thinking they have an “own occupation” definition of disability, but when you look at the definition of disability you realize that it is not actually protecting the way in which you performed the job for your employer. Insurance carriers can place language in the disability policy that describes your own occupation as it’s defined in the national economy, or ONET, which provides a list of generic occupational duties for all types of jobs. Let’s say you are a salesperson that is required to travel multiple times a month, to lift heavy boxes, to be in sales meetings. Things that as a sales manager are required in your specific job, that aren’t necessarily how ONET defines the duties of a salesperson in the national economy. This can hurt a claim because if the insurance carrier goes by the national economy definition, and then you have to get on a plane multiple times a month, and can’t do that with your disability, the insurance carrier won’t even consider that because it’s not listed in the occupational duties in the national economy. So, I always recommend that my clients make sure the definition of own occupation is as it’s defined at the job that you are performing on the date you become disabled.
How do pre-existing conditions play into the application process and what should applicants do if they have one?
GREGORY DELL: A claimant should understand that when they go out to buy their policies you have to be honest about every question that you get asked. If you are untruthful or forget something, it’s possible that when you go to file your claim that the disability insurance company will say that you misrepresented on your application, and therefore your policy is void. They’ll give you back the premiums that you paid, but they’re not going to cover your claim. The first thing they do when you file a claim is to look for pre-existing conditions and verify everything that you put on that application. I have seen where claimants make a claim 20 years after applying, and the insurance company sees something that is related to something that wasn’t disclosed on the application. Then they void or attempt to void the entire policy. Be honest about every single thing because your policy may be worthless if you aren’t truthful in your application. It’s a tremendous issue that you have to be aware of.
RACHEL ALTERS: Sometimes I’m asked by applicants if they can still get coverage if they have a herniated disk in their back. The truth is, the insurance company will probably put an exclusion on your policy. A “rider” says that they will cover you for any and all disabilities other than the back issue that you currently have. So, if you try and make a claim down the road for that specific back condition, it’s going to be excluded. However, if you become sick with something else, like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s, or something else that doesn’t involve that specific area of the back, then the insurance company is required to cover you. So, it doesn’t hurt to get a policy with an exclusion – it’s better off than having no policy at all.
What is a mental nervous limitation in a disability policy?
RACHEL ALTERS: A lot of people don’t realize that mental nervous limitations are included in a disability policy for medical conditions such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or sometimes schizophrenia. Insurance companies will limit payments under these disabilities to 24 months during the lifetime of the policy. Certain companies have no mental nervous limitations in their policies. They may cost a little bit more, but it’s one hundred percent worth purchasing those policies because it is a very common to be disabled by a mental nervous condition.
Reviewed by Carlos M on June 10th 2022 Verified Policyholder
I was working at a shipyard at San Diego and hurt my back again while working. Hurt my back in the US Navy in 98 and had issues since then so I decided to get the surgery ... read more >
Reviewed by Salyna D on June 1st 2022 Verified Policyholder
Lincoln Financial made my life a living hell. I went on medical leave from my job just to work for them basically. My mental health is worse than it was and I still do not... read more >
Salyna, I am sorry to hear about your experience. I wish I could say it is an anomaly, but it is an all too common occurrence. Depending on if the claim was ever approv... read more >
Diana, I am sorry to hear of this denial and the demand for an overpayment. Please contact us so that we can review your claim and see if we can get you back to receivi... read more >
Reviewed by Chris K. on May 20th 2022 Verified Policyholder
Sun Life is a real pain. I just want them to buyout my long term disability policy, but they keep playing around and around. I just to be left alone and given my lump sum ... read more >
Rachelle, the law provides certain timelines and deadlines with which to provide information or decisions. Please feel free to contact our office to discuss your situat... read more >
Reviewed by Kim W on May 7th 2022 Verified Policyholder | September 2021 date of disability
I have a Long term disability claim with Cigna. Approval process did not take too long and they did start my LTD just a few days after my STD ended. First check was mailed... read more >
Reviewed by Trapped in the cogs on March 7th 2022 Verified Policyholder | May 2021 date of disability
I’ve been an RN for 31 years. I lost 6 family members (3 of those to cancer) in 9 months and suffered a breakdown, I just couldn’t watch people die anymore. Cigna (NYL... read more >
Reviewed by A Crews on January 20th 2022 Verified Policyholder | July 2021 date of disability
I have had 3 people on my case since July 2021! This last person Amanda S drag her feet on my claims and payments. I literally have to go to my mom for help! When I contac... read more >
At Dell & Schaefer we’ve handled hundreds of long term disability insurance claims against Reliance Standard, and have learned a few thi... Read More >
Disability insurance is one of the most important insurance products, yet the vast majority of people working don’t have it. 35% of employer... Read More >
Disability insurance also known as disability income insurance is an insurance product that will pay a monthly benefit amount if you are unabl... Read More >
Our client, Mr. E, formerly worked as an Escalation Engineer for a national data services and data management company. For many years Mr. E ... Read More >
In the recent case of Ferrin v. Aetna Life Ins. Co. a federal judge from the Northern District of Illinois determined that Aetna improperly te... Read More >
In ERISA cases filed in a district court asking for judicial review of a plan administrator's denial of benefits, the court is generally limit... Read More >
Companion Life tried to play games and deny long term disability benefits, but thankfully a New Mexico Federal Judge made them pay disability ... Read More >
In Tisha Entz v. Standard Insurance Company, Plaintiff Entz was a classroom teacher in Victorville, California from 1997 until she became... Read More >
I have nothing but deep, sincere thanks for the way in which you have taken care and protected me and my LTD income since April 2014. I am forever grateful to you both and your staff. You took a frightened man who was being hoodwinked by the Hartford who was fearful of losing his income, to one who was confident. I had a Lion protecting me and indirectly my dear wife Deborah. I will always be humbled by how you all treated me with reverence and professionalism. Your company is the standard to what all others should emulate.
Attorney Alex Palamara and paralegal Danielle are both consummate professionals. Since the inception of my experience with them both they were very attentive thru the entire process and settled my case in a timely fashion.
Why would you recommend Dell Disability Lawyers? I would unequivocally recommend attorneys Dell Disability Lawyers.
What could we do to improve? They don’t need improvement.
I have a rare genetic condition that my insurance company didn’t want to acknowledge. Stephen and his aide Sonia worked tirelessly for over a year and successfully forced The Standard into covering my policy. They are both empathetic and effective, the best combination.
Dell Disability Lawyers is an excellent law firm for dealing with disability companies. I tried for 18 months to get disability for a medical condition. I found Dell Disability Lawyers and spoke with Mr. Jay Symonds about my case. He was very understanding and explained how he could help me in a simple and easy to understand manner. Within 6 months of him taking on my case he was able to resolve the case to my satisfaction.
I could concentrate on my health instead of worrying about money to pay my bills. Mr. Symonds staff were all very kind and helpful. I never had a problem with contacting them for help and they were quick to respond to issues. I would highly recommend Mr. Symonds and his firm to anyone who needs assistance with disability claims with insurance companies.
After exhausting all efforts to find a local disability law firm to assist me with submitting claims for LTD non-ERISA and ERISA disability insurance policies, I resorted to a Google search for disability law firms. I decided to contact Dell Disability Lawyers after reading their clients reviews and watching videos on their website. Within 24 hours of contacting Dell Disability Lawyers, I received I call back and an appointment was made with Steven J. Dell, who after hearing my story decided to personally work with me.
He told me that he would put 100% effort to get me on claim. Mr. Dell and his assistant, Merlin Bryan were always available via phone or email to answer any questions that I had regarding my application for long term disability. He was meticulous in guiding me through the process leaving no stone unturned. My claims were approved on the initial application! I know that it was due to the diligence of my attorney, Steven J. Dell. Without Mr. Dell, my application for long term disability would have been rejected. I am very grateful to have had the representation of attorney, Steven J. Dell.
Why would you recommend Dell Disability Lawyers? Experts in non-ERISA and ERISA disability law. Dell & Schaefer Law Firm have a well-deserved reputation of taking on big disability insurance companies and winning for their clients. If you find yourself in need of a disability attorney, I highly recommend this firm. You will not be disappointed!
What could we do to improve? Not a thing. I am a satisfied client.
Awesome, super quick email response to my initial request, followed up by a phone call from the attorney to discuss details of my claim, all in the same day, and all free of charge.
Why would you recommend Dell Disability Lawyers? Very responsive and super helpful, in addition I am very impressed at the level of service I received free of charge with no pitch to retain them.
What could we do to improve? Nothing, perfect service.
This firm does exceptional work. I worked with them for my application for long term disability. My claim was approved on the initial application with one of the most notoriously difficult insurance carriers in the business. I’m 100% sure that this was due to my attorney Steven Dell. He was meticulous in shepparding me through the process making sure everything was done with precision and done correctly.
My anxiety thought this process was through the roof and Mr. Dell was always there to reassure me and peal me of the ceiling if needed. Mr. Dell and his assistant Merlin were always diligent and immediately responsive when I needed reassurance, help or something needed to be done. If you have a disability claim hire Mr. Dell and this firm. It will be the best money you ever spend.
Efficient, energetic, experienced, and prompt. Quickly and cleanly dealt with. Each call was on time, outcomes reviewed, and confirmed. Highly professional and polite. I strongly recommend his services!
Why would you recommend Dell Disability Lawyers? A professional dealing with professionals. Every time I thought … ”I wonder what our status is?” I received an update, he provided great communication with awesome engagement.
What could we do to improve? Advertise more so more people knew about your firm.
Our goal is to get your application for disability income benefits approved. Applying for disability benefits can be a difficult process and the information you provide is critical. Most disability insurance companies look at your application in hopes of finding a reason to deny your claim. Your disability company will ask you to complete numerous forms, interview you, request lots of information, speak with your doctors and possibly request to have you examined by their "hired gun" doctor.
Through our experience of having helped thousands of disability insurance claimants, our lawyers will guide you through the entire application process and give you the best chance to get your disability claim approved the first time.
If your disability insurance benefits have been wrongfully denied, then our lawyers know exactly what it takes to get your disability claim approved. You only get once chance to submit an Appeal, therefore every piece of evidence that will support your disability claim must be included. The goal is to win your disability benefits at the Appeal level, but while preparing your Appeal you must consider how a federal judge will review your disability claim if your benefit denial is upheld.
Preparing a strong disability appeal package is an art that requires you to understand how the courts interpret your disability policy language, ERISA regulations / laws, and how to strategically present evidence in support of your definition of "disability". We encourage you to contact any of our lawyers for a free immediate review of your disability denial.
98% of the disability insurance lawsuits filed by our law firm have resulted in either the payment of benefits or a lump-sum settlement agreement. Our disability lawyers have filed ERISA governed and private policy long term disability insurance lawsuits against every major disability insurance company in state and federal courts nationwide and we love fighting for the "little guy" against the multi-billion dollar insurance company giants.
We have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for our clients and we would like the opportunity to provide you with a free review of your disability benefit denial. There are many complex factors in a disability benefit lawsuit and the legal battle to win long term disability benefits can be fierce.
Approval of long-term disability is a continuous process as every disability insurance company will evaluate your eligibility for benefits on a monthly basis. You can never let your guard down and assume that your disability company will continue to pay your benefits for as long as you think you need them.
Our law firm offers a reasonable flat fee monthly claim handling service in which we handle every aspect of your long-term disability claim and do whatever it takes to make sure you are paid every month.
Let's discuss if a lump-sum settlement or buyout of your disability insurance claim is both available and makes financial sense for you. Our lawyers have negotiated more than five-hundred million dollars in disability insurance buyouts and we know how to get you a maximum settlement. A disability insurance company is not required to offer a buyout and not every disability company offers them.
We are disability insurance lawyers that know how to get your short or long term disability benefits paid. As a nationwide law firm we have helped thousands of disability insurance claimants throughout the United States to collect hundreds of millions of dollars of disability insurance benefits from every major disability insurance company.
In more than 98% of our cases, our lawyers have been able to either get our clients paid monthly disability benefits or obtain a one-time lump-sum settlement. Our lawyers have seen it all when it comes to disability insurance claims and we know exactly what it takes for your disability claim to be approved.
We welcome you to contact any of our attorneys for a free immediate review of your disability claim. We also invite you to visit and subscribe to our YouTube channel where we have more than 700 videos and regularly provide tips to help protect your disability benefits.
Who do you help?
Our lawyers help individuals that have either purchased a long term disability insurance policy from an insurance company or obtained short or long term disability insurance coverage as a benefit from their employer. We have helped individuals in almost every type of occupation with monthly disability benefit payments ranging from $1,500 to $50,000.
Our clients include all types of employees ranging from retail associates, sales representatives, government employees, police officers, teachers, janitors, nurses, pilots, truck drivers, financial advisors, doctors, dentists, veterinarians, lawyers, consultants, IT professionals, engineers, professional athletes, business owners, and high level executives.
A strong understanding and presentation of the duties of your occupation is essential for securing disability insurance benefits.
Do you work in my state?
Yes. We are a national disability insurance law firm that is available to represent you regardless of where you live in the United States. We have partner lawyers in every state and we have filed lawsuits in most federal courts nationwide. Our disability lawyers represent disability claimants at all stages of a claim for disability insurance benefits. There is nothing that our lawyers have not seen in the disability insurance world.
What are your fees?
Since we represent disability insurance claimants at different stages of a disability insurance claim we offer a variety of different fee options. We understand that claimants living on disability insurance benefits have a limited source of income; therefore we always try to work with the claimant to make our attorney fees as affordable as possible.
The three available fee options are a contingency fee agreement (no attorney fee or cost unless we make a recovery), hourly fee or fixed flat rate.
In every case we provide each client with a written fee agreement detailing the terms and conditions. We always offer a free initial phone consultation and we appreciate the opportunity to work with you in obtaining payment of your disability insurance benefits.
Do I have to come to your office to work with your law firm?
No. For purposes of efficiency and to reduce expenses for our clients we have found that 99% of our clients prefer to communicate via phone, email, fax, GoToMeeting sessions, or Skype. If you prefer an initial in-person meeting please let us know. A disability company will never require you to come to their office and similarly we are set up so that we handle your entire claim without the need for you to come to our office.
How can I contact you?
When you call us during normal business hours you will immediately speak with a disability attorney. We can be reached at 800-698-9159 or by email. Lawyers and staff must return all client calls same day. Client emails are usually replied to within the same business day and seem to be the preferred and most efficient method of communication for most clients.
