Hartford Approves LTD Claim for Radiologist with Back Disorders

Our client, a radiologist and partner of a successful Florida medical group began experiencing significant burning tongue and mouth pain following a dental procedure. Complicating matters further, he also suffered from severe back pain from several disk herniations and degenerative disk disease. The burning tongue and mouth pain was severely distracting, to the extent that it impaired his ability to focus, concentrate, and interpret images and perform interventional procedures.

Understanding that the issues which arise with disability claims can be complicated especially when involving two disability carriers and two individually unique long-term disability policies, our client sought the advise and assistance of the law firm of Dell Disability Lawyers prior to applying for benefits.

Initially, our client, being a motivated and determined individual his entire life, contemplated reducing the volume of interpretations he was reading and ceasing his interventional duties. Naturally, he hoped perhaps reducing his workload and eliminating the interventional procedures which he could no longer safely and effectively perform, would allow him to focus on his health and recovery. He also strongly desired to be as much of an active member of his practice as he could be despite his restrictions and limitations.

Understanding the client’s desire to continue practicing in a limited capacity due to disability and also knowing that a thorough review of documents including but not limited to our client’s: long-term disability policies, medical records, CPT codes, and personal and corporate financial records, would need to occur in order to completely comprehend our client’s options, Cesar Gavidia, a senior associate in Dell Disability Lawyers, began his analysis.

After completing his review and analysis of the above-mentioned material, several conference calls with the client and his treating doctors, Mr. Gavidia was able to advise the client that he had a strong residual/partial disability claim. Soon after our client’s long-term disability applications were filed, his claims with Hartford and Unum were approved.

Unfortunately, our client’s medical conditions did not resolve, his symptoms progressed and he was forced to stop practicing radiology completely. After conveying to the carrier the extent and progression of our client’s medical disabilities, the carriers soon transitioned the claim from residual/partial disability to total disability.

We continue to represent our client with Hartford and Unum, and advise and assist him with the submission of monthly claim forms and attending physician statements.