Our work is crucial to our ability to forge a good life for you. If we want a family, a car, or a house, gainful employment is vital. Of course, one of the biggest risks in life is when we get sick, have an accident, and cannot work. What happens then?
It is always a good idea to have long-term disability insurance. The government does provide a measure of security, but these benefits are usually minimal. Commonly, government disability benefits, both short-term and long-term disability benefits, are not enough to maintain an individual’s lifestyle.
Many workplaces will have group disability benefits available, both short-term and long-term. Either because a labour union has negotiated disability insurance as part of the collective bargaining process or an employer has decided to offer group insurance where the insurance premiums and cost are split between the employees and employer.
If you can afford to purchase your own disability insurance policy, you may want to consult with an experienced insurance agent, even if you have disability coverage through work, because there can be huge differences between insurance policies. There are long-term disability insurance policies that are very cheap, but they are cheap for a reason.
With cheap policies, coverage is very poor, and there are often numerous exclusions. Making a claim is extremely challenging, and claims are often denied – even if you have a long-term disability lawyer. I have seen some insurance policies that I think should not be offered to the general public because the disability coverage is so narrow that an insurer will rarely have to payout. These types of policies are great money-makers for insurance companies. In these cases, if there is ambiguity in the policy, sometimes a good long-term disability lawyer can make the insurance company pay – but it’s not easy.
Then, of course, there are other policies that offer reasonable coverage, but they will be more expensive. A major concern is how the policy transitions from short-term to long-term disability benefits. Often there is a time provision – a person is entitled to short-term disability benefits if they cannot do their usual job for a period of two years. Often, but not always, after that initial period of short-term disability benefits, then it switches to long term, and benefits are only paid if the person cannot do any job or cannot do any job for which they are reasonably suited. Quite often, the geographic location is irrelevant.
For example, if you live in Brampton or Mississauga or any other city in the GTA and have a long-term disability, but the only job you can do is in Niagara Falls or the opposite side of Toronto, then too bad. You are required to travel. And there is not much that your Toronto LTD lawyer or disability lawyer in Brampton can do.
Regardless of what type of disability insurance policy you may have, the common approach used by insurance companies when it comes to paying benefits is often the same. Insurers are very aggressive and will deny benefits on even the slightest grounds.
Don’t let disability insurance companies toss you around. If you have been denied disability benefits consult a long-term disability lawyer that works in this area. Know your rights. If you need a long-term disability lawyer in Toronto, Brampton, Mississauga, or the GTA, then call us. Our head office in Toronto is our only location currently open due to Covid, but we can do virtual meetings as well.