Engineer Long Term Disability Benefit Claim Tips
If you work as an Engineer the insurance company will apply a very broad and generic approach related to Your occupational duties. As a result, getting approved for long term disability benefits may prove challenging. Insurance companies will often misrepresent what job duties you performed as an Engineer based on a very dated Job Description or rely upon the Dictionary of Occupational Titles, which was last updated in 1991. Neither resource will be accurate and make the decision of the insurance company unsupported by either medical or vocational evidence.
With any long term disability claim, it is important to understand exactly what evidence the insurance company requires to get your long term disability claim approved and with that in mind, obtaining a copy of your entire claim file is the first step. In our Engineer disability claim tips video, attorneys Stephen Jessup and Gregory Dell discuss how insurance companies look at the occupations of Engineers.
In this article:
How Do Disability Companies Define the Occupation of an Engineer?
As an Engineer, you may sit at a desk, or you may perform more physically demanding activities. Either way, working as an Engineer is a mentally and cognitively demanding position given the educational requirements to obtain a Degree in Engineering. Insurance companies will regularly dismiss or ignore the mental demands of Your Occupation and if they determine you can sit all day at a computer that must mean, to them, that You are not Disabled. Therefore, it will be very important to discuss both the physical and mental demands of your occupation with Your physician and make it clear that working as an Engineer can run across a very broad range of occupational duties.
What Steps Can You Take To File an Appeal?
With all disability claims, establishing and continuing regular care with your treating physicians and being able to provide medical support for why your condition interferes with your ability to perform one or more of the essential duties of your occupation is crucial. The group disability plans will view your occupation as it is performed in the national economy, and will not look closely at the physical, cognitive, and mental demands of your actual job with your employer If you have a chronic medical condition, especially if You were able to work in your occupation for perhaps months or even years before becoming Disabled.
The insurance company will want to know what changed such that you could no longer perform your occupational duties. Having a conversation with your physician, documenting those conversations and medical findings to support your inability to work is a necessary step in getting your long term disability claim approved.
Do Insurance Companies Accept Permanent Disability?
If you have a chronic condition that is the result of an injury, sickness, or illness, and it will continue to limit your ability to function or work indefinitely, the insurance company will still want periodic, and often frequent updates from you and your medical providers. Insurance companies will simply dismiss your limitations if medical records or forms are not provided on a regular basis. Submitting forms and medical records may be a hassle, but by not doing so, the insurance company will find a way to say that proof of loss or proof of disability has not been adequately provided and your claim may be denied. If your condition or health continues to prevent you from working then You should submit this evidence as frequently as possible to avoid a Denial of your long term disability claim and not have to go through the hassle of filing an Appeal of Your Disability Claim or Filing a Lawsuit.
How Our Attorneys Can Help You Get Approved for Disability Benefits
You should search our website and learn much more information about your disability insurance company and the process of obtaining short or long term disability benefits. We have already represented hundreds of Engineers, and we know what to expect and know how to help you. We represent claimants nationwide and have hundreds of references available. Give our attorneys a call and we will provide you with an initial free review of your policy or your denial letter if you’ve been denied. We will let you know right away if we can assist with your disability claim.
