If you are unable to work due to a medical condition, then you will be reliant upon your disability insurance policy to provide a consistent source of income throughout your recovery. This is already one of the most stressful and upsetting chapters of your life, and you receive a letter from your insurance company advising you that your claim for benefits has been denied. What do you do next?

The denial letter will usually take one of two forms: either the insurance company will tell you that you are not disabled enough to meet the definition of disability in the policy, or the insurance company will allege that you had a pre-existing condition. The denial letter will also advise you of your right to appeal the decision.

At this stage, you have a decision to make: do you appeal, or do you hire a lawyer to commence litigation? You are not required to appeal, and frankly the prospects of success are slim. You may also lose months of valuable time waiting for the appeal process to play out, only to find out that you have been denied once more.

Disability policies are technical and complex. An experienced disability lawyer can navigate through the labyrinth of technical language in your policy, and move your file swiftly towards resolution. This is accomplished by ensuring that all supporting medical documentation has been properly submitted; by complying with all relevant deadlines; and, by retaining expert physicians to bolster your case. A disability lawyer will also assist you with your application for Canada Pension Plan Disability benefits, which is a requirement of most disability policies.

Most importantly, an experienced disability lawyer will shoulder the burden of interacting directly with the insurance company, leaving you to focus on what is most important: your health and your recovery.