When is the best time to hire a disability lawyer?
Posted on 08. Sep, 2010 by chad in FAQs
It is important to consult an attorney as soon as you become concerned that it may be necessary to pursue disability benefits, whether on a Short Term or Long Term basis. It may not be necessary to actually retain an attorney at this time but it would be important to get some advice about the “in and outs” of the process so that you can determine when it is, in fact, necessary to retain an attorney. Also, establishing a relationship with an attorney early on would allow you to get input throughout the process as necessary. This is especially true when you have questions about the process.
You must remember that the insurance company’s claims representative is answering your questions in a manner most beneficial to the interests of the insurance company, not in your interest. Many persons with a clear entitlement to benefits either lose those rights or hamper the ability to secure prompt payment thereof as a result of trying to go it alone. Remember you are seeking to protect the very income stream on which you will rely to maintain your lifestyle. It is fair to say that this is one of the most valuable assets you have. The attempt to “go it alone” routinely results in mis-steps in the application phase of the claim or thereafter resulting from either ignorance of the intricacies of that process or misplaced reliance on representations made by the claims representative.
Remember that while this is a right you earned and paid for, that fact does not necessarily mean the insurance company has any intention of paying or making the process easy.
There are deadlines and job continuation issues which must be successfully dealt with during the application phase. These are delicate issues. In fact, there have been claims handled by this law office in which the insurance company attempted to use the claimant’s continued efforts to work as evidence that the claimant was not disabled!