Disability Appeals Lawyers – Abbotsford
Bungay Law specializes in helping the disabled in Abbotsford and the Fraser Valley. For almost two (2) decades, our disability lawyers have been fighting insurance companies who deny LTD claims. We have also had many successful appeals on behalf of our disabled clients.
Abbotsford Disability Appeals Lawyers
Call us today for a free consultation 604-621-4431
We also have offices in Vancouver and Surrey:
Vancouver Disability Lawyers – Surrey Disability Lawyers
Bungay Law is different than most law firms. Many lawyers practice several types of law. Our approach is to specialize in one thing: helping people who have been wronged by insurance companies. 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, our team is fully dedicated to ensuring that our clients are properly compensated by insurance companies.
Helping you with Denial Letters
Our disability team are experts at dealing with letters that deny your benefits. A “denial letter” usually says one of two (2) main things:
- If you are already receiving benefits, the denial letter may state that your benefits are being terminated. The reason the insurance company usually states for denying your claim is something like ‘they believe you can work and therefore are not disabled’
- If you have not yet received benefits, the denial letter may tell you that your application has been denied. This, of course, means that the insurance company is refusing to pay you any disability benefits.
Our disability lawyers examine these letters very carefully. Sometimes, there are hints in the letters which tell us what the insurance company needs to see in order to approve the claim. By reviewing these letters, we can tell you what information may be needed so you can get your LTD claim approved.
Helping you with Appeals
Most of these denial letters also tell you that you have a right to “appeal” the insurance company’s decision to deny your LTD claim. The letters suggest that appeals are straightforward and simple for you to do. However, such appeals can be extremely difficult to win. At Bungay Law, we specialize in helping win these appeals. Our disability lawyers know exactly what information your insurer needs in order to approve your claim.
It is important to remember that it is extremely difficult to win a disability appeal. Once an insurance company rejects your claim, this means they have accepted they will not have to pay you money. Insurance companies are very reluctant to change their minds because they do not want to suffer a business loss of income by paying you money. In other words, because they are running a business, they see paying you money as a loss of money to their business.
How does Bungay Law help win appeals?
It usually takes a lot of legal knowledge and experience to win a disability appeal. The insurance company has specific internal requirements that have to be met before they will change their mind. Much of the time, the insurance company has to be convinced that there is a legal risk they could be sued and beaten in Court before they would agree to grant your appeal, and pay you disability benefits.
This does not mean you have to go to Court. It does mean, however, that you need to show them there is a risk of them losing more money if they say “no” to your claim.
Bungay Law helps you win your appeal in a number of ways. First, we carry out a legal analysis of your disability insurance policy. Every insurance company has a policy that sets out the rules for your case. This policy notes the terms and conditions that need to be met to have your benefits approved. Often, the policy also sets out how the appeals process works.
Abbotsford Disability Appeals Lawyers
Call us today for a free consultation 604-621-4431
We also have offices in Vancouver and Surrey:
Vancouver Disability Lawyers – Surrey Disability Lawyers
A trained lawyer’s eye can see through any loopholes in the insurance policy. We also make sure that you get the information needed to meet the terms and conditions set out in your policy. Once these terms and conditions are met, it is very difficult for the insurance company to continue rejecting your claim.
Our disability lawyers also ensure that you have the right medical information to win your case. Insurance companies usually reject disability LTD claims because they feel there is ‘not enough medical evidence’ to suggest you are disabled. Often, this decision is wrong. Much of the time, key medical information is missing from the insurance company’s record. For example, you may have seen a specialist who they do not know about. Perhaps your doctor did not give a complete picture of your medical history or disability. In either case, our disability lawyers ensure that the correct medical story is told to the insurance company. We get your complete medical records, and we take steps to get the correct and complete story from any doctor who treated you.
In some cases, in order to prove your disability, Bungay Law will arrange for special testing with a doctor or functional evaluator. These are specialists who examine your health and physical abilities. These specialists then provide us with independent reports which fully outline your disability. Most doctors in the traditional medical system are too busy to carry out such thorough examinations. By getting you this medical/functional testing, we obtain important evidence as to the true extent of your disability. We then give this information to the insurance company in order to help win your disability appeal.
Common Questions: Disability Appeals
I heard that lawyers can charge hundreds of dollars an hour. How can I afford to hire Bungay Law for my appeal?
Bungay Law does not charge you any money in order to take on your case. First, we evaluate your case absolutely free of charge. You can speak to any of our legal team and get an opinion on your case for no money whatsoever.
If you agree to hire us, we also do not ask you for any money upfront. We would only charge a fee if we were successful with your disability appeal. In other words, if you won a lump sum of money with your appeal, our fee would be a modest percentage of whatever you won. If you lost your appeal, there would be no legal fees whatsoever. We only get paid if you win your appeal.
The insurance company has said I only have a limited time to appeal their decision. I don’t feel I have time to hire a lawyer, what do I do?
It is important to remember that most “appeals” for insurance companies are not part of the regular legal system. These “appeals” are internally made up systems by the insurance company. Just because the insurance company says you have a certain deadline to appeal does not necessarily mean you will run out of time to appeal the decision. Insurance companies often give these deadlines, presumably, to rush you into making poor decisions. In this regard, in most cases, you would have time to consult with a lawyer and get proper advice before you tried to appeal the decision. In most (but not all) cases, even if you tried to appeal after the deadline, you could still be successful.
Some policies may require certain deadlines for appeals. Also, there are other time limits which are very important called “limitation periods”. A “limitation period” is an end timeline for you to sue the insurance company. If you did not sue by that deadline, you could be prevented from getting any benefits.
It is important to get advice from an experienced disability lawyer to explain any consequences relating to appeals and limitation periods. However, you should never feel there is not enough time to get legal advice. Our team is here 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to offer a free consultation about your denial letter or appeal.
Abbotsford Disability Appeals Lawyers
Call us today for a free consultation 604-621-4431
We also have offices in Vancouver and Surrey:
Vancouver Disability Lawyers – Surrey Disability Lawyers
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