Johnstown Long Term Disability Lawyer

Getting injured or developing a health problem that prevents you from working can considerably impact your finances. This is even more so if your condition is severe enough to disable you for several months, years, or permanently. You would be unable to provide for yourself or your loved ones as effectively as you used to. Fortunately, you could file claims to recover benefits to help cover your future expenses. 

One of the ways to do so is through a long term disability or LTD insurance claim. This lets you recover benefits such as a portion of your monthly salary for a certain amount of time. A Johnstown long term disability lawyer from our firm can help you with the processes involved in filing the LTD request or disputing the claim’s results. Reach out today to speak with an experienced SSD attorney about pursuing the benefits you need.

Your Disability Does Not Need to Be Caused By Workplace Accidents

Unlike in workers’ compensation claims, where your injury has to be caused by a workplace accident, long term disability claims do not necessarily have to result from work-related duties. For example, you might have gotten into a car accident while off-duty, which resulted in lower body paralysis. Another instance would be if you developed cancer or a cardiovascular complication. 

Your Employer Might Not Have Long Term Disability Benefits

Like other parts of Pennsylvania, Johnstown does not require employers to provide long term disability coverage for their employees. According to the Pennsylvania Insurance Department, businesses only need to provide workers’ compensation benefits. As such, you will need to check in first with your company on whether they offer LTD insurance in the first place. Otherwise, you might have to search for other options to supplement your financial needs, such as Pennsylvania’s Social Security Disability Insurance. 

How Long Term Disability Differs from Social Security Disability Insurance

Both long term and Social Security Disability insurance claims can provide you with disability benefits, such as paying you a portion of your salary each month. However, long term disability benefits are provided by employers, while the Social Security Administration handles SSDI claims. 

However, there is no rule stopping you from simultaneously filing both an LTD and an SSDI claim. Besides helping you file the LTD claim, a Johnstown long term disability attorney could also look into how you can bring an SSDI claim too. 

You Have the Right to Question Denied Benefit Claims

If the Johnstown business denies your long term disability claim, you can still appeal to have them reconsider. You can also question the claim’s results for reasons such as: 

• The employer paid your benefits for the first month but failed to provide the rest later. 
• The employer might have stopped paying your benefits after a certain time has passed—even if they are still supposed to pay you. For instance, the insurance policy might have stated that you would receive your long term disability benefits for up to five years. Instead, however, the employer only paid you for two years. 
• The employer may have also approved your claim but did not follow the percentage specified in the long term disability insurance policy. For example, suppose the LTD policy states that you would get paid 60 percent of your base salary if your claim gets approved. However, they pay you 45 percent instead. 

If the employer and insurance company still deny your claim to have them reconsider, you may have to bring the dispute to the civil court for litigation.

How a Long Term Disability Lawyer Can Help

Let us look further into how a long term disability lawyer in Johnstown can help you file your LTD insurance claim or dispute the results. 

Gather Evidence of the Disability or Cause of the Claim Dispute

When filing for long term disability benefits, you must prove that you suffer from a disabling condition. The disability lawyer can help gather the information needed to support your claims, such as medical records and proof of the incident that caused your condition, such as footage of the accident or eyewitness testimonies.

If you want to dispute the claim’s results, the lawyer can also investigate the issue for you. For example, if you want to appeal insufficient payments, the attorney can check the insurance policy’s terms to determine the percentage you are entitled to. 

Provide Legal Representation

The Johnstown long term disability attorney can also provide a legal representative when filing for LTD benefits. They can present the claim on your behalf and negotiate with the employer or insurance company. 

If you want to have the matter litigated, the lawyer can still represent you during the proceedings and advise you on how to conduct yourself in court. 

Make Sure You See a Doctor

Only a physician can diagnose a long term disability and prescribe an appropriate treatment plan. Medical documentation can support your case, as well. Make sure you see a doctor as soon as possible and follow up with any treatment they recommend. 

Get in Touch With a Johnstown Long Term Disability Attorney

Becoming disabled permanently or for a significantly long period can be distressing for anyone in Johnstown—especially if you are already financially struggling with your inability to work. However, applying for long term disability benefits, if available, can help ease your financial problems. A Johnstown long term disability lawyer can guide you through the steps in filing a disability claim and help you appeal denied claims. Call today.

The law office of Berger and Green has over 40 years of experience in handling injury and disability actions for clients throughout Pennsylvania. Though we are based in Pittsburgh, we provide representation all over the tri-state area.