Hartford Disability Lawyer Representation for Your LTD Insurance Claim
Our lawyers have helped thousands of Hartford disability insurance claimants nationwide to collect long term disability benefits. Hartford (HIG) is a multi-billion “two headed monster” that will hide behind the wall of ERISA disability laws in an effort to unfairly deny long term disability claims. No matter what any TV station, newspaper reporter or court says about Hartford’s claim handling actions, they continue to handle disability insurance claims according to their own rules.
Of the more than 40 disability insurance companies that sell long-term disability insurance coverage, it is our opinion that The Hartford is one of the most difficult disability insurance companies to deal with. The 2017 1.45 billion dollar purchase of Aetna’s disability insurance division made them one of the top five largest group disability insurance companies in the country.
Every Hartford claim requires a custom strategy in order to obtain claim approval and we encourage you to contact us for a free immediate consultation with one of our disability insurance attorneys. In the video above you can get a good understanding of our experience in helping Hartford disability claimants.
How Can We Help With Your Hartford Disability Claim?
Wherever you live our lawyers are available to help you with your Hartford disability claim. How our lawyers can help with your Hartford disability insurance claim depends on the stage of your claim. The five stages of a claim for disability benefits with Hartford are:
1. Applying For Hartford Short or Long-term Disability Benefits
The initial Hartford application for disability benefits is a critical part of every claim for disability insurance benefits. Obtaining properly documented medical support, selecting the correct date of disability and completing all of the required Hartford claimant and attending physician forms are just a few of the many areas that claimants can make mistakes. Contact any of our disability lawyers to discuss how we can help give you the best chance to collect disability benefits.
2. Hartford Monthly Disability Benefit Claim Handling
An approval of disability benefits by Hartford does not mean that the benefits will automatically continue for as long as you need them. The Hartford claim rep assigned to your disability claim is required to evaluate your claim every month and determine your eligibility for benefits. Hartford is inconsistent on how they manage each claim. Hartford is also notorious for requiring claim forms or updated medical records at any time. We offer a unique service where we manage your claim on an ongoing basis so that we can rest assured your claim is in the best position to prevent a Hartford claim denial. Learn more about our Hartford monthly claim handling service.
3. Filing A Hartford Disability Benefit Appeal
Almost all of Hartford’s disability denial letters look the same and follow the same strategy for claim denial. We believe that Hartford writes these wrongful denials in an effort to either force claimants back to some kind of work or hope that they will just drop the claim. We have handled hundreds of Hartford ERISA appeals and know exactly what needs to be done to give you the best chance to get your benefits paid. We have a lot of information available about Hartford disability appeals that you should review here.
4. Suing Hartford For a Disability Benefit Denial
Our lawyers have filed ERISA disability lawsuits against Hartford all over the country and more than 95% of our clients have either had their benefits reinstated or received a lump-sum settlement. We would like to review your Hartford disability denial and give you an immediate opinion about what we think we can do to help you. Please visit our Hartford Disability Lawsuit page to watch our videos and read about our experience in handling disability benefit lawsuits against Hartford.
5. Negotiating a Hartford Lump-Sum Disability Buyout
In certain scenarios Hartford will enter negotiations for a one-time lump settlement of your long term disability claim. In order to be eligible you must have claim that is not contested by Hartford, you are “totally disabled” and have been on claim past any change in the definition of disability, and you have a medical condition that is not life threatening. Contact us to learn if you are candidate for a Hartford disability buyout or settlement. Learn more about a disability buyout by watching our disability lump sum videos.
Answers To Your Hartford Disability Questions
Should I meet with a Hartford Investigator who wants to interview me?
You should never agree to meet with Hartford without first consulting with a Hartford disability lawyer. Hartford is one of the few disability companies that will actually send a representative to your house. Your disability policy may require you to meet with Hartford. Hartford commonly uses this meeting as a technique to deny your disability claim. Our Hartford disability lawyers have prepared hundreds of Hartford claimants for these interviews and we know all the techniques relied upon by the Hartford investigators. Watch our video on Hartford interviews for more information.
How much time does Hartford have to make a determination on an ERISA disability appeal?
The answer is, usually 45 days and an additional 45 days for special circumstances, however, it depends on the individual facts of each claim. View additional information about special circumstances allowing more than 45 days.
How long does an ERISA lawsuit against Hartford take from the filing of a lawsuit until the conclusion?
The answer to this question is a wide range of time because there are multiple factors that affect resolution of a lawsuit. The short answer is that a lawsuit can be resolved in as little as 3-6 months and as long as 5-6 years. The average time frame for resolution of a Hartford disability lawsuit is 9-12 months. The factors that affect the time frame are the court where the lawsuit is filed, the defense attorney representing Hartford, the number of benefits owed to the claimant, the lawsuit expectations of the claimant, and whether a lawsuit involves an appeal or not. Any of our lawyers can give you a more specific answer based on a discussion of your Hartford disability denial.
Can Hartford deduct social security payments from my monthly disability check?
The answer is usually yes. 99% of the Hartford disability policies have a section titled “deductible sources of income”, and social security disability benefits for both you and your dependent children will reduce the amount of the benefit that Hartford owes. If you are receiving social security for a reason other than your disability, then Hartford may not be able to reduce your monthly benefit.
What should I expect at an IME exam requested by Hartford?
Every Hartford disability policy gives Hartford the right to have you examined as often as Hartford believes it is necessary. We are often able to limit the scope and frequency of these compulsory medical exams. Hartford likes to the call these independent medical exams, but the examining doctors are often “hired guns” that Hartford has repeatedly relied upon to evaluate disability claims. In this video you can learn about being prepared for a medical exam requested by the Hartford.
We hope you find the information on our website informative for your Hartford disability claim. We know the world of disability insurance claims is something that you probably never wanted to know much about. We want you to know as much as possible so you understand the importance of protecting your monthly disability income benefits. We offer a free immediate phone consultation with one of our attorneys and while we have a ton of information available on our site to educate you about Hartford, we always welcome to you to contact us so we can provide you with an immediate opinion as to whether we can help you collect disability insurance benefits.
