LONG-TERM DISABILITY
Harms & Harrigan, LLP. located in Woodbury, New York, is your local leader in the area of Long-Term Disability Insurance. Our mission is to provide quality, cost effective and experienced legal representation to disabled individuals throughout Long Island and New York State. Our commitment to you is personalized client service. If you work for an employer who provided you with group disability coverage or you purchased a private disability policy on your own, we can help you!
Today more than ever insurance companies formulate and implement elaborate strategies to deny disability claims. You and your family have invested hard earned premium dollars in exchange for the insurance company’s promise to provide you and your family with economic security in the event you become disabled from performing your occupation. Regrettably, without proven, experienced and aggressive representation, the promise made to you and your family will be broken and your investment will be forever lost.
Harms & Harrigan, LLP. has proven winning claim strategies to protect the investment you and your family have made and enforce the promises made to you and your family by your insurance company.
The following services are offered:
– Legal Representation and Management of your private and/or Group Disability Claim
– ERISA appeal of your denied Group Disability Claim
– Negotiating policy buy-outs of your private and/or Group Disability Claim
– Litigation of Disability Claims of your private and/or Group Disability Claim
Legal Representation and Management of your Disability Claim
Because the very first contact between you and the insurance carrier may decide the fate of your claim, your first call should be to an experienced disability claim lawyer prior to filing your claim to ensure that your interest and the interests of your family are protected.
The lawyers at Harms & Harrigan, LLP. have provided successful legal representation throughout the entire claim filing process to hundreds of individuals with private and/or group disability policies both in the claim filing process and on-going claim management after payment commences.
Like they have done for hundreds of other individuals both in the filing stage and for those whose claim was in danger of being denied because it was filed without counsel or by inexperienced counsel, the lawyers at Harms & Harrigan, LLP. will implement a detailed and comprehensive strategy for filing your individual and/or group disability claim based upon your disabling condition, your occupation, your policy, your financial information and your special circumstances.
ERISA Appeal of your Denied Group Disability Claim
With limited exceptions the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (“ERISA”) governs most long-term disability policies. Once again, in order to protect your interest and/or the interests of your family, your first call when deciding to appeal the denial of your group long-term disability claim should be to an experienced disability claim lawayer.
The lawyers at Harms & Harrigan, LLP. have provided successful legal representation in the ERISA appeal process to many individuals with the denial of their group long-term disability claim. The process involves implementing a detailed and comprehensive strategy that begins with a thorough review and analysis of your claim and claim file obtained from the insurance company and ends with the drafting of a complex legal, medical, factual, occupational and financial brief to the insurance company.
Negotiating your Disability Policy Buy-Out and Settlement
If you are interested in pursuing a lump sum buy-out or settlement of your disability claim or if you have been contacted by your insurance company regarding a lump sum buy-out or settlement of your disability claim, your first call should be to an experienced disability claim lawyer.
The lawyers at Harms & Harrigan, LLP. have negotiated numerous lump sum buy-outs and settlements on behalf of individuals, for millions of dollars, by implementing a detailed and comprehensive strategy that begins with a thorough review and analysis of your claim, your policy, your disability and your financial situation.
For more information on how we can help you, contact Harms & Harrigan, LLP. for an initial evaluation no matter where you are in the lump sum buy-out and settlement process.
Litigation of Disability Claims
There are times when a disability claim cannot be resolved without the need for the filing of a lawsuit to protect your rights under your individual and/or group policy. In order to protect your interests and/or the interests of your family your first call when deciding to file a claim should be to an experienced disability claim lawyer.
For more information on how we can help you, contact Harms & Harrigan, LLP. for an initial evaluation no matter where you are in the litigation process.
Understanding Your Disability Claim
The law firm of Harms & Harrigan, LLP has successfully represented individuals with a wide variety of physical and/or mental disabling conditions, including, but not limited to:
* All injuries, diseases and disorders of the neck, shoulder, back and spine.
* Cupital Tunnel Syndrome.
* Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
* Multiple Sclerosis.
* ALS.
* Cancer.
* Leukemia.
* Post-Polio Syndrome.
* Heart Attack.
* Stroke.
* Speech Loss.
* Hearing Loss.
* Vision Loss.
* Anxiety.
* Depression.
* Agoraphobia.
* Dementia.
* Bi-Polar Disease.
* Cognitive Dysfunction.
* Alzheimers Disease.
* Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
* Fibro-Myalgia.
Frequently Asked Long-Term Disability Questions
Can I work in a different occupation and still collect my monthly disability benefit?
Yes. If your policy contains an “own-occupation” definition of total disability then depending on the nature of the duties you are performing in this different occupation you can still collect your monthly disability benefit. It is important to review your policy to determine the duration of your own-occupation period.
Do I need to incur a drop in income to collect my total disability benefit?
If you are filing a claim for total disability the answer is no.
Do I need a drop in income to collect my residual or partial disability benefit?
If you are filing a claim for residual or partial disability the answer is yes. A residual or partial claim involves a comparison of your income prior to becoming residually or partially disabled with the income you are currently earning from working. Depending on the percentage drop of income you may be entitled to your full monthly disability benefit, a portion of your full monthly benefit or no benefit at all.
What is Mental and Nervous limitation?
Many group disability policies contain a two year limitation on benefits for a claimant who is disabled due to a mental and nervous condition. If your policy has such a limitation please be advised your benefits will stop being paid even if you remain disabled from your mental and nervous condition beyond the two year period. For example, if your primary disabling condition is due to an injury and that injury has caused you to become depressed, it is important to have your treating doctor emphasize that your primary disabling condition is your injury and that your depression is a by-product of your injury. Otherwise the insurance company will seize upon your depression as your primary disabling condition in order to limit payment of your claim under the two year mental and nervous limitation.
Do I have to submit to an Independent Medical Examination (IME) or Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE)?
The initial answer to this question is to immediately contact an experienced disability claim lawyer. This is vital because a request for an IME or a FCE usually means 99% of the time the insurance company is looking to terminate or deny your claim. Please contact Harms & Harrigan, LLP. immediately to discuss a comprehensive strategy to effectively respond to these types of requests.
Please contact Harms & Harrigan, LLP. for an initial evaluation to answer all of your questions related to your claim.
