Get Your Disability Application Approved

The application submitted for short or long term disability insurance benefits is the foundation of every claim. There are many traps in an application for disability benefits that can result in a claim denial or delay of benefits. It’s always easier and more affordable to do it right the first time rather than clean up a mistake further in the process. The disability company employees are trained to look for reasons to deny a disability claim.

Since our inception in 1979, our disability insurance lawyers have helped thousands of individuals nationwide to apply for disability benefits against every disability insurance company. We have helped people in every occupation and we encourage you to review the multiple videos below that explain what to expect in the application process. We have also included a few videos from our experience of helping hundreds of medical professionals and business owners to apply for either individual or business overhead disability benefits.

We File Applications For All Types of Disability Insurance Policies

Individual or Group Disability Insurance Policy

Whether you have an individual long-term disability policy that you purchased from an insurance agent or a group disability policy provided by your employer, the application process requires the same attention to detail.

An application for disability income benefits must contain specific information and be supported by the proper documentation. The application process involves a collaboration between the applicant, the treating physicians, possibly an accountant and any co-workers at the time the applicant became disabled. The disability application requires an applicant’s occupational duties to be specifically broken down into categories and the amount of time spent performing each duty must be established. The manner in which this is determined can make the difference between receiving total or only partial disability benefits. In order to verify occupational duties, an insurance company will want to analyze the applicant’s tax returns, pay-stubs, profit and loss statements, appointment books, monthly and annual CPT code production reports (physicians only) and any other documentation that shows the work the applicant has performed during the three years prior to filing a claim and the time period after filing a claim.

Next the insurance company will require the applicant’s treating physicians to submit Attending Physician Statements, which must state whether or not the applicant can perform either the duties of his or her occupation or in some instances, the duties of any other occupation. In addition, the insurance company will either call or meet with the treating physicians in order to discuss the applicant’s claim for disability benefits. We regularly consult with an applicant’s treating physician, so that the treating physician can properly evaluate an applicant’s restrictions and limitations in conjunction with the applicant’s daily occupational duties. In most cases, disability should not be addressed in a generic sense, but in relation to the applicants own occupation. Disability insurance claim examiners are trained to look for specific information in the medical records, and if information is missing they will rely on a lack of information to deny or delay claim approval.

While evaluating the applicant’s claim for benefits, the insurance company will usually send out a company field representative to interview the applicant and review any financial documentation in the applicant’s possession. Field representative interviews should never be conducted without the presence of an attorney. How you phrase a response will follow you throughout the claim’s process. In addition, the applicant may be required to appear for an independent medical examination (IME) and a functional capacity evaluation (FCE). In order to protect the rights of the applicant and ensure legitimate testing, we always recommend that these so-called independent medical exams are videotaped and a copy of the report is provided to the applicant upon completion.

Lastly, without the applicant’s knowledge or consent, the insurance company will usually have a private investigator follow the applicant and conduct video surveillance for several days. The insurance company will then send the video surveillance to the independent medical examiner or the claimant’s own doctors in order to determine if the observations in the video are consistent with the applicant’s stated inability to perform the duties of his or her pre-disability occupation. We always ask the insurance company for a copy of the surveillance video and to give the applicant’s treating physicians an opportunity to review the surveillance video before any claim decision is made.

The insurance companies are not entitled to every piece of information they request, and an applicant must be aware of the legal implications of every communication and document requested by the insurance carrier. Insurance companies have a lot of discretion under the terms of a disability insurance policy. They are required to focus on the limitations and restrictions which prevent an applicant from performing his or her occupational duties at the time the disability started. Determining the date of disability is often difficult, yet it must be selected in coordination with the supporting medical records. The playing field is not equal. Unfortunately, the insurance carrier is the wolf in sheep’s clothing.

If you are considering applying for benefits or are waiting for a decision, contact Attorneys Dell & Schaefer for a free evaluation of your claim for disability benefits.

Doctors, Dentists, and Chiropractors Disability Insurance Policy

Of all the occupations, doctors, dentists, and chiropractors undergo the highest level scrutiny when it comes to filing a claim for long term disability insurance benefits. The reason for the high level of scrutiny is often due to the broad scope of a physician’s occupational duties and the dollar amount of the claimant’s monthly disability benefit. Determining the date of disability and the occupational duties of the claimant at the time of disability is one of the most challenging aspects of a medical professional’s claim for disability benefits. In most disability claims, a doctor has a either a degenerative condition or a medical condition that they have been working with for several months or years. When a doctor finally reaches the point where he or she can no longer work, the disability carrier will often argue that the claimant is partially disabled and not totally disabled (see our video discussing residual disability). Some doctors are owners of their medical practice and can continue to earn income even if they stop practicing. In this situation, a disability carrier will attempt to argue that the claimant is partially or residually disabled as they were an office administrator as well as a doctor at the time of disability. Some doctors stop working or sell their practice and then seek disability benefits without first obtaining treating doctor medical support. Timing, medical documentation, occupational activity documentation and financial documentation are essential when it comes to filing a claim for long term disability benefits.

Our team of disability insurance lawyers has helped hundreds of surgeons, doctors, physicians, chiropractors, dentist, and nurses to collect long term disability insurance benefits. Our disability division was started by representing medical professionals. We have dealt with just about every disability application scenario imaginable and have experience with the disability insurance policies that have been sold by every disability insurance company and medical association. As a medical professional, you need to have a plan in place when it comes to filing a claim for disability insurance benefits. Doctors earn substantial income and in most cases the disability policy is a significant reduction in annual income. We understand that our client’s financial livelihood is dependent on the approval of long term disability benefits. We are committed to doing whatever it takes to make sure that our clients have the best possible chance of collecting benefits to which he or she is eligible for.

We encourage you to obtain a copy of your disability policy and contact us for a free consultation to discuss either your potential or current disability claim. Upon request we can provide you with the ability to speak with past clients in your similar occupation that have retained our law firm. We look forward to helping you.

Business Overhead Policy

We regularly represent individuals that have Business Overhead Expense disability policies, which are usually referred to as “BOE” policies. The challenging issues with collecting on a BOE is when a business is sold or shut down, the policy language may prohibit eligibility for benefits. All too often we receive calls from potential clients that have sold their business and now want to collect under their business overhead expense disability policy.

Throughout the years we have developed some unique and creative strategies that have allowed our clients to maximize the benefits of their BOE policy. Any business owner that is selling their business as a result of a long term disability should always consider how the BOE benefits will factor into the sale price of the business. For example, if the claimant has a building lease obligation of $5,000 a month for the next 12 months, the BOE may pay this lease so long as the claimant and the business remain liable for the lease payments. If the claimant owns the building that has the lease, then this could potentially be an additional $60,000 of disability income for the claimant.

Disability Buy-Out Policy

A disability buy-out policy is a type of long-term disability insurance which is purchased so that one business partner can buy out the disabled partner for his or her share of the company. These buy-out disability policies usually require the claimant to be totally disabled for at least 12 months. Furthermore these buy-out disability policies require the buy-out to take place in accordance with the buy-sell agreement that has been agreed upon between the partners.

We have represented multiple clients with buy-out disability policies and the common issues usually include:

  1. The business drafted a buy-sell agreement a long-time ago and the agreement does not accurately reflect the current value of the business;
  2. The business does not have a buy-sell agreement and can the business draft a new buy-sell agreement post the date of disability;
  3. The disability company is claiming that the buy-sell agreement values the shares of the business at more than the fair market value and the disability company does not want to pay the full value of the buy-out policy; and
  4. The amount of buy-out disability coverage is insufficient, but it is unclear whether the disabled partner must sell all of his or her shares in order to recover benefits under the buy-out policy language.

How Do We Help?

Whether you are a doctor, dentist, chiropractor, business owner, accountant, teacher, high level executive, engineer, manager, lawyer, financial planner, or a salesperson, you should not assume that you know how to apply for disability benefits. Our job in the application process is to make sure we submit a claim that puts you in the best possible position to receive a claim approval. Many people wrongfully think that the application for benefits will be as simple as the application that was completed to buy disability coverage. It’s far from simple unless you have suffered a catastrophic injury. The disability benefits application process is complex and most applicants applying for disability benefits do not realize the manner in which disability insurance companies scrutinize and investigate claims for disability insurance benefits.

Filing for disability requires a coordinated effort between your treating physicians, employer, accountant, past co-workers and family members. Once Attorneys Dell & Schaefer are representing you, all communications go through our office and you never need to worry about the disability insurance company contacting you or claiming that you did not send them requested information. Our disability attorneys will handle every aspect of the claim so that you can focus on taking care of yourself.

Doctor Support Is Key

The most important and first step for benefit approval is to have the support of your treating physicians. Please watch our video below about the importance of doctor support in obtaining disability insurance benefits.

Doctors are in business to treat patients and they are neither trained to deal with insurance companies nor do they often want to. Your doctors will be asked to submit an Attending Doctor Statement to your disability company and the manner in which this is completed will be essential in getting your claim approved. We always work with your doctor to get these claim forms completed. Additionally all of your medical records will be required to be submitted.

The manner in which your doctor documents your complaints and findings in your medical records are very important. The insurance companies will conduct a detailed review of your medical records and they will often cherry pick the information that is either not supportive or missing. If we don’t think the records provide enough support then we will work with you and your doctor to obtain the proper documentation needed to support the claim.

If you don’t have doctors that are willing to be involved with insurance company paperwork then we will work with you to find a doctor that can treat you and cooperate with the process to receive benefits.

Application Documents & “Your Occupation”

Every disability company has specific disability claim forms that they require to be completed in order to submit a claim for disability benefits. There are several important sections in these forms that will shape and establish the entire claim. For example, selecting the proper date of disability is critical, as the selection of an improper date could either result on claim denial or prevent a claimant from receiving certain benefits that may have been available.

In many disability policies the definition of “disability” during the first 12-24 months is defined as “the inability to perform the duties of your own occupation”. Disability companies are notorious for relying on their own opinion of how a claimant’s occupation is generally performed in the national economy. They also like to rely on an employer’s job description which we often find barely scratches the surface in describing the real job duties.

In all of our applications we draft personal occupational statements and we make sure that the disability company understands all of the requirements of your job on a daily and weekly basis. We further make them understand why your symptoms and limitations prevent you from doing your job. Disability companies prefer to ignore your job duties and classify your job as either sedentary, light duty or heavy duty. By doing this, they ignore your actual job duties, cognitive responsibilities and the requirement to be an employee that is required to show up to work 5 days a week for at least 8 hours a day.

The disability companies basically make the conclusion that if you can sit in a chair for more than 4 hours a day then you should be able to work as long as you can take some breaks. After handling thousands of disability applications we anticipate all of the disability company arguments and we know how to present your claim so that we can eliminate their typical nonsense reasons for denial. The second video above discusses a disability denial lawsuit in which a disability company’s denial was reversed for failure to evaluate the claim with the appropriate occupational duties.

Your Interview

Your disability policy usually gives the disability company the right to interview you and the right to have you examined by a doctor of their choice. The disability company will usually request this interview after they have completed your background check, reviewed your medical records, social media profile and possibly followed you around with video surveillance. These interviews, also known as field interviews, can be telephonic or in person. We never allow the insurance company to come to your home. We always attend and prepare you for this interview. In many cases we try to eliminate the interview and communicate on your behalf with the disability company. We have prepared a video which discusses what to expect at an insurance company interview.

Request For Medical Exam

Every disability insurance policy contains a clause that gives the insurance company the right to have a doctor of their choice examine you. The disability companies call these exams Independent Medical Exams (“IME”), but they are not independent and are often conducted by hired gun doctors that have previously performed numerous exams for the company.

We maintain portfolios on the hired gun doctors and we don’t allow our clients to see doctors that we know will deny a claim. Once we agree on a doctor that you can see, we will prepare you for the exam and we will often either video tape the exam or have a court reporter present. We always request a copy of the completed IME exam report so that we can review it with your treating doctors and submit a reply if necessary. Our video below discusses what you should expect at an IME exam and some tips about how to handle an IME exam.

Phone Call With Your Doctors

We have seen lots of applications for disability benefits denied because the insurance company attempts to reach out to your doctors and they either cannot speak with them or they do speak and the doctor is not prepared to address your claim. In order to protect our clients we always tell the insurance company that if they want to communicate or need anything from our client’s doctors, then they must contact our office and we will help them obtain what they need.

If the disability company wants to speak with your doctor, then we will prepare your doctor for the phone call and we will attend the phone call. Without preparation, most treating doctors don’t understand the language in a claimant’s disability policy and they are often caught off guard by the insurance company doctor or nurse that calls.

We regularly see insurance companies send summary letters to doctors following a phone call and the doctor’s office will wrongfully sign a letter that is inconsistent with what was said during the conversation. In many situations if an insurance company wants to speak with our client’s doctor, then we will ask for them to submit the questions in writing and we will contact the doctor to get them answered.

Beware of Third Party Administrators

It is a common practice in the disability insurance industry for a disability insurance company to hire a third-party company to administer claims for disability benefits. This means that a company different than the insurance company that sold the long-term disability policy will make the decision as to whether you are entitled to disability benefits.

For example, Disability Management Service, Inc. (“DMS”), states on their website that they are a full service third party administrator and consulting firm specializing in the management of individual and group disability claims. DMS further states:

“Disability benefit eligibility determinations are seldom black-and-white. Moreover, disability is rarely static in nature. People recover and return to work. Or, they remain disabled and adapt. Sometimes their conditions worsen.

DMS focuses on the importance of early and proactive involvement with every disability claim, using a team-oriented approach. DMS claim professionals often interact with treating medical providers, specialized clinical experts, medical consultants, vocational specialists, forensic accountants, investigation professionals and legal advisers to gain a comprehensive understanding of each claim. DMS has access to the expertise of a national network of Independent Medical Examination providers, Peer Review experts, and Functional Capacity Evaluation professionals who help in the assessment of impairment and its impact on the claimant’s capacity to work. Our thorough, objective process ensures that new claims receive a fair assessment of benefit eligibility and active claims are appropriately managed for the duration of the disability.”

Disability insurance companies will hire companies such as DMS, because the insurance company that sold the policy either does not have a claims handling department or they believe that it is cost effective to outsource the handling of the disability claim. We have handled numerous claims against companies such as DMS. It is important that a claimant understands that the goal of every disability claim examiner is to look at an application for disability benefits with a goal of returning the claimant to work and therefore denying benefits at some point. There are several third-party administration companies throughout the country. Recently we have represented clients in which the client had purchased a MetLife long-term disability policy, but Unum was hired to act as the third party administrator. Additionally, disability insurance companies such as Trustmark Insurance Company, are forming subsidiary companies (TrustmarkDisabilityAdvisors.com) in order to administer claims for other disability insurance companies. Attorneys Dell & Schaefer are available to answer any of your questions or concerns about the handling of your long-term disability claim.

Resources to Help You Win Disability Benefits

Disability Benefit Denial Options
Submit a Strong Appeal Package

We work with you, your doctors, and other experts to submit a very strong appeal.

Learn more

Sue Your Disability Insurance Company

We have filed thousands of disability denial lawsuits in federal Courts nationwide.

Learn more

Protect Your Benefits
Get Your Disability Application Approved
We help claimants throughout the entire application process.

Learn more

Prevent a Disability Benefit Denial
We manage every aspect of your disability claim following claim approval.

Learn more

Negotiate a Lump-Sum Settlement

Our goal is to negotiate the highest possible buyout of your long-term disability policy.

Learn more

Disability Company Reviews
(641)
Showing 8 of 641 Reviews
New York Life

Keeps claiming they will not approve claim for pre existing conditions but my illness is not preexisting

Reviewed by M.T. on February 15th 2024   Verified Policyholder | May 2023 date of disability
I have been appealing a claim for LTD for 8 months! New York Life keeps claiming they will not approve claim for pre existing conditions but my illness is not preexisting ... read more >
Reliance Standard

Staff Lie

Reviewed by Tanya on February 12th 2024   Verified Policyholder | August 2021 date of disability
I had my disability cut off the day I was scheduled to find out whether I should have surgery. The claims examiner was aware that I had an appointment on that date and sai... read more >
Reply
Sent on February 12th 2024 by Attorney Gregory Dell

I am sorry to hear about your experience. It’s crazy that Reliance Standard would deny your disability benefits when you are suffering so badly that you need surgery.... read more >

Hartford

Former Hartford employee has had life insurance and accidental death policy's revoked for one late premium payment

Reviewed by Becky H. THOMAS on February 12th 2024   Verified Policyholder | February 2024 date of disability
Dislike how they are constantly interrupting the lives of their disabled EE's whom are entitled to benefit which they paid into out of there pay check every pay period onl... read more >
Reply
Sent on February 12th 2024 by Attorney Gregory Dell

Thank you for your review of Hartford and we appreciate you sharing.  It’s sad they don’t take care of their own employees.

Lincoln Financial

Never received benefits my entire leave - or help with them

Reviewed by Anna on December 19th 2023   Verified Policyholder | November 2023 date of disability
I used my short term disability insurance for maternity leave and started the process beforehand knowing when I would be out (scheduled induction.) It took a little over a... read more >
Sun Life

Unscrupulous Tactics

Reviewed by Misseekayy on December 19th 2023   Verified Policyholder | May 2023 date of disability
Sunlife uses unscrupulous tactics in order to prevent payment of claims. They wait until it is close to the 30 day mark and then they ask for another form of information o... read more >
Sedgwick

Lame

Reviewed by Dennis T. on December 11th 2023   Verified Policyholder | March 2022 date of disability
My experience with Sedgwick and personell is as follows: Unhelpful, unprofessional and an overall unpleasant experience.
Unum

Low payments

Reviewed by Dorothy on November 30th 2023   Verified Policyholder | November 2023 date of disability
I was injured at work. I did house keeping in a hospital. I tore just about everything imaginable in my knee. I was let go from my job, because I was no longer able to do ... read more >
Lincoln Financial

Well Documented correspondence

Reviewed by Joshua on November 23rd 2023   Verified Policyholder | May 2023 date of disability
I read other situations and it’s all very similar to my case. I have received STD from May 2023 and when my FMLA run out LF would not respond or answer my calls. My last... read more >
Answered Questions by Our Lawyers
(10)
Showing 8 of 10 Answered Questions

Q: Can my employer switch my job because I go on LTD?

Answered on April 6th 2023 by Attorney Gregory Dell
A: Maggie, your employer, under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), is only required to protect your job for 12 ... Read More >

Q: I have submitted my application for long term disability to Mass Mutual and I want to know how long it should take them to make a decision?

Answered on January 2nd 2023 by Attorney Steven Dell
A: Dr. Stein. This is a great question and it depends on multiple factors. In most cases Mass Mutual and all of t... Read More >

Q: Do I have to be an active employee to apply for LTD?

Answered on October 27th 2022 by Attorney Steven Dell
A: Lori: Generally speaking, if out on claim and a new/different disability arises you can add that to your exist... Read More >

Q: I have Unum disability insurance and they are asking me to speak with them on the phone before I even submit my application. Do I need to speak with them?

Answered on October 26th 2020 by Attorney Steven Dell
A: If you have not submitted your application as of yet, then it depends if your disability policy requires you t... Read More >

Q: Can Aetna deny my application on the basis of pre-exisiting condition? Do they discriminate against the mentally ill?

Answered on September 2nd 2020 by Attorney Steven Dell
A: Molly, unlike health insurance plans, a disability insurance carrier can deny application for coverage based o... Read More >

Q: How long does MetLife have to render a decision on my application for benefits?

Answered on August 15th 2020 by Attorney Steven Dell
A: Jesse, please feel free to contact our office. The law provides 45 days to render a decision on an application... Read More >

Q: I want to have a lawyer represent me with my application for disability benefits but I am wondering if this could be a disadvantage for me in getting approved?

Answered on August 8th 2020 by Attorney Steven Dell
A: Your question is a great one and something that I have been asked many times by potential clients. I am certai... Read More >

Q: Should I contact you before submitting my application for a private disability benefit?

Answered on July 10th 2020 by Attorney Steven Dell
A: It is in your best interest to contact us as early as possible if you think you are going to need to file a lo... Read More >
Helpful Videos
(873)
Showing 11 of 873 Videos
Disability Benefit Tips
(330)
Showing 8 of 330 Benefit Tips

How to Apply for Reliance Standard Disability Benefits & Top 5 Reasons for a Claim Denial

At Dell & Schaefer we’ve handled hundreds of long term disability insurance claims against Reliance Standard, and have learned a few thi... Read More >

Tips for Applying for Sun Life Disability Insurance Benefits

If you're covered by a long term disability policy offered by Canadian-based carrier Sun Life... Read More >

Do I Need to Consult an Attorney Before I File an Application for Long Term Disability Benefits?

LTD Application is an important process and should not be completed without legal advice.When filing for long term disability benefits thr... Read More >

How long does the disability insurance company have to make a claim decision once the application for ERISA long term disability benefits is submitted?

The Department of Labor has drafted regulations which provide that a disability claim must be resolved, at the initial level, within 45 days o... Read More >

Disability Income Benefits: The Complex Application Process

The most important aspect of a claim for disability benefits is the information contained within the initial application submitted to the insu... Read More >

Disability Benefit Denial Reason #5 – Your Medical Evidence is Weak

If you're seeking long term disability benefits from an insurance company, you may be concern... Read More >

Disability Benefit Denial Reason #4 - Your Doctor Is Misled By the Disability Company

When you're seeking disability benefits under a long term disability policy, your medical rec... Read More >

Disability Benefit Denial Reason #3 - Video & Social Media Surveillance

One thing many long term disability claimants don't know about (or expect) from the claims re... Read More >
Dell Disability Cases
(372)
Showing 8 of 372 Dell Disability Cases

Unum Approves LTD Benefits for Pharmacist with Eye Disorder

Rachel Alters of Dell Disability Attorney’s currently represents an Ambulatory Operations P... Read More >

MetLife Approves Disability Benefits to Dentist With De Quervain's

Prior to contacting our office, our client filed a claim for long term disability benefits under his individual disability insurance policy wi... Read More >

Northwestern Mutual Approves Claim For Disability Benefits

Prior to contacting our office, our client was having little success in securing his disability insurance benefits under his privately purchas... Read More >

Unum Approves Long Term Disability Application to a Program Manager

Our client, a high level Program Manager for a large international aeronautics company, was involved in an automobile accident that resulted i... Read More >

Berkshire Approves Application for Disability Benefits to Sales Manager

Our client, an accomplished outside salesman, had built a stellar reputation in his industry after building his company over a period of many ... Read More >

Unum and Sun Life approve disability benefits to OB/GYN

Our client, a well-established and experienced, OB-GYN, who had run a successful medical practice before becoming part of a hospital system, b... Read More >

Cigna Approves Disability Claim Following Multiple Denials

Prior to contacting Dell Disability Lawyers our client filed a claim for Short Term Disability benefits with Cigna under her employer’s grou... Read More >
Disability Lawsuit Stories
(765)
Showing 8 of 765 Lawsuit Stories

Reliance Standard Disability Denial Upheld Due to Claimant's Lack of Strong Medical Record Support

In the case of Amy Wright v. Reliance Standard Life Insurance Company (Reliance), Plaintiff was the vice-president of... Read More >

Unum Wrongfully Terminated Disabled Lawyer’s Disability Claim of Depression and Anxiety Despite Improvement in His Condition

This Unum lawsuit and appeal in federal court is a great victory for all Unum disability claimants. This ca... Read More >

Federal Court Overturns Aetna Denial Of Disability Benefits

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 >

Court Finds Irregularities in Procter & Gamble Long Term Disability Benefit Denial

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 >

Federal Judge Makes Companion Life Insurance Pay Long Term Disability Benefits

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 >

NFL Disability Review Board Ignores Evidence of Disability and Appeal Court Reverses Lower Court Decision

In Darren Mickell v. Bert Bell/Pete Rozelle NFL Players Retirement Plan (Plan), Mickell spent nine years in the NFL as a defensive e... Read More >

Judge Agrees that MetLife's Denial of Long Term Disability Benefits was Reasonable

In Anne Ehlert v. Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (MetLife), Ehlert was a consulting pension actuary for pension plans at Towers... Read More >

Can Standard Insurance Company’s Failure to Raise an Issue be Considered a Waiver?

The case of Jose Chavez v. Standard Insurance Company has quite a history with the United States District Court for the Northern Dis... Read More >

Reviews from Our Clients

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5 Ways We Help Get Your Benefits Paid

Get Your Disability Application Approved

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.

Submit A Strong Appeal Package

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.

Sue Your Disability Company

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.

Prevent A Disability Benefit Denial

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.

Negotiate a Lump-Sum Settlement

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.

Questions About Hiring Us

Who are Dell Disability Lawyers?

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.