Have you had your long-term disability or life insurance claims denied?
The circumstances surrounding filing for long-term disability or life insurance claims can be stressful. These emotions are only further exacerbated when such claims are denied. People are often surprised and justifiably feel betrayed when they receive this news from the same insurance company with whom they pay for coverage.
However, the unfortunate reality is that this is not an uncommon occurrence. More often than not, most insurance companies vie to pay as little as possible on claims rather than caring for the customers that have been paying for insurance coverage in good faith.
When confronted with insurance denial cases, Taylor & Blair LLP can help.
Founded in 1993 by Graham Taylor and Kevin Blair, Taylor & Blair LLP has been fighting insurance companies for years to help you receive more. Attorneys at Taylor & Blair LLP don’t just work for you. They work with you to sort through the complex details and create the strongest case possible. They take the time to ensure they fully understand the extent of your injuries, illness, or bereavement, as well as the legal issues involved in your unique situation, to accurately explain your options and keep you informed about the progress of your case.
Aside from the emotional toll inflicted, an insurance claim denial can also place a substantial financial burden on you or your family. Luckily, the lawyers at Taylor & Blair LLP have expertise assisting individuals in obtaining fair compensation from large insurance companies.
Insurance Claim Denial Reasons
There are several reasons why claims may be denied, one of the most common being allegations of misrepresentations when entering into an insurance contract.
Even if someone is completely truthful when applying for insurance coverage, insurance companies will often go back through their medical records and try to find any clinical entries they can use to allege that the insured wasn’t being fully truthful in their insurance application, thereby rendering the contract of insurance void and giving them a basis to deny paying out benefits.Another common reason to deny a disability claim is a change in definition of what is a disability.
Many insurance contracts change the definition of disabled after a period of time from being disabled from your own occupation to being disabled from any occupation, which is a much higher bar to meet. Insurance companies will often use this change in definition to deny a claim, even if the individual in question is truly disabled.
In the context of life insurance denials, if a person dies within what is called the “contestability period”, usually the first year or two after entering into the life insurance policy, then the insurance company has a much broader discretion to deny paying out life insurance benefits.
Most people believe that, so long as they pay their premiums, if they become disabled or die, their insurance company will look after them or their family. Unfortunately, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Insurance companies try their best to collect as much money as they can and pay out as little money as possible in order to stay profitable.
At the end of the day insurance denials usually boil down to contractual interpretation and it can be incredibly complicated for those not well-versed in legal or insurance-related nuances to navigate a denial.
Obtaining legal advice is one of the most crucial steps in challenging a denied claim. Taylor & Blair LLP’s team of experienced insurance denial lawyers will actively review your case, identify the likely reasons behind the denial, and work alongside you to get the benefits you are entitled to.
When dealing with a denied insurance claim, time is of the utmost importance as there are time limitations in place for you to take legal action after receiving a policy denial. That said, don’t worry! The Taylor & Blair LLP team will review your policy, explain the legal issues to you in plain, straightforward language, and help you make informed decisions.
Furthermore, if you’ve recently been in an accident, you may be confused about whether you’re entitled to compensation. Taylor & Blair LLP also possesses expertise in personal injury law, and can help those who have been injured due to the negligence of another.
Loss, disability and personal injury are stressful and traumatic in and of themselves. If you’ve found yourself in any of these situations, the team at Taylor & Blair LLP is here to help.
For more info, visit insurancedenialbc.ca and taylorandblair.com.
