The Disability Application

In the case of Darren Cohen v. Aetna Life Insurance Company (Aetna), Plaintiff Darren Cohen was employed by a computer data storage technology company, STEC, Inc. His occupation was that of a Computer Systems Engineer, which required him to sit at his computer for 6-8 hours every day.

If you’ve recently filed a disability insurance  claim with Equitable (or are just thinking of filing a claim), you’re not alone. Here at Dell & Schaefer, we see disability insurance denial letters from Equitable on nearly a weekly basis and have helped dozens of claimants secure the benefits they’re owed. Learn more about the process of filing a disability insurance claim with Equitable and what disability insurance claimants should be able to expect.

The disability insurance attorneys at Dell & Schaefer have seen a lot of disability insurance claim denial letters from Reliance Standard. Reliance Standard stands behind its disability insurance claim denials, and it’s not afraid to litigate them in court. But don’t be discouraged – because Reliance Standard is such a large insurance company and has such high employee turnover rates, their claims denials often aren’t as detailed or thorough as those seen from smaller companies. It’s possible to appeal a claim denial and win, although it may take a year or longer to cross the finish line.

Attorneys Gregory Dell and Cesar Gavidia discuss what you need to know about your Illinois Mutual disability income policy and tips to get your claim approved. In this video get a better understanding of what the definition “Disability” is in your policy for claim approval. Learn how Illinois Mutual determines whether a claimant is totally or partially disabled and why not every Illinois Mutual claim denial requires the filing of a lawsuit.

A denied disability claim is not the desired outcome for claimants who are suffering due to injuries that prevent them from working. Below are the reasons why many of disability insurance claims are denied. This information is important to prevent a denied disability claim or before you begin an ERISA appeal for your denied claim.

1. Video Evidence

For many ERISA claims, insurance companies will hire private investigators to follow you for a certain period of time and collect video evidence. If the claimant, which is you, claims that you are not able to perform certain tasks or require assistance to get around, the video evidence will determine if that is or is not the truth. The insurance company is able to gather this information without your knowledge. This will prompt the need for an ERISA appeal by your disability attorney.