Having your long-term disability benefits either wrongfully denied or wrongfully terminated can be devastating. The lawyers at MacIsaac & Company have years of experience working with long-term disability providers. If your long term disability insurer has denied your claim, terminated your benefits, or has advised you that your benefits are ending on a certain date, we can assist in ensuring you receive the benefits you are entitled to.
Long-term disability benefits or “LTD” provides you with income should you become totally disabled due to an illness or injury and are thus unable to work. Typically long-term disability policies are available to individuals through their employment by way of a group plan. Or, individuals may purchase private insurance. Long-term and short-term disability policies are often grouped together. Short-term coverage typically provides you with income for the first six to 12 months of disability, and after that, if your disability continues, your long term coverage commences.
Long-term disability coverage contracts are not standardized. The requirements, wording and benefits vary from insurer to insurer and policy to policy. In order to receive benefits, policies often stipulate you need to be “totally disabled.” The insurer will require medical evidence to support your disability claim. Usually, this evidence will be provided by your family doctor on a periodic basis in a form provided by the insurer. Typically, at some point the insurer will require you to be assessed “independently” by a doctor of their own choosing, and often this will result in termination of benefits.
Long-term disability policies usually require the insurer to pay benefits for two years after you become disabled from your own occupation. It is at this two-year point that benefits are often terminated, because under most plans, the definition of “total disability” changes. In order to keep receiving benefits after two years, you must provide medical evidence proving that you are unable to work at any job for which you are reasonably suited on the basis of your education, training and experience, not just the job you held at the time you became disabled.
Insurance companies may investigate you and your claim under the guise of prevention of fraudulent claims. You must disclose all relevant information during this process. Though the insurance company cannot violate any laws, they are permitted to take pictures and interview your neighbours, former co-workers and friends. Insurance companies may use certain information to justify termination of your benefits, while disregarding information that supports your ongoing disability. For instance, if taken out of context, photographs or video evidence may suggest you are more physically capable than in fact you are.
Most people have no way of responding to an insurance company’s tactics. These claims are complex and a power imbalance often arises between you as the insured and your policy provider. Further, these claims are subject to strict time periods regarding when legal action can be taken. Your MacIsaac & Company lawyer has the skill and resources to address the complexities of your disability claim and to level the playing field between you and your insurer. If you are entitled to long-term disability benefits, we will ensure you get them.
115 – 19 Dallas Road
Victoria, BC - V8V 5A6
(Shoal Point at Fisherman’s Wharf)
+1 (250) 381-5353
email
200 - 190 Ingram Street
Duncan, BC - V9L 1P1
+1 (250) 746-4422
email
By appointment only
+1 (250) 334-3110
email
LARRY MCCREA LAW CORPORATION
Address
#3 – 95B Highway 97
100 Mile House, BC V0K 2E0
Phone 250-395-1151 / Fax 250-395-1153
office@lmccrea.com
www.lmccrea.com
MACISAAC & COMPANY
Address
By appointment only
Courtenay, BC
Phone (250) 334-3110 / Fax (250) 334-3108
courtenay@macisaacandcompany.com
STASIUK & COMPANY
Address
201 – 10300 – 10th Street
Dawson Creek, B.C. V1G 3T6
Phone 250-782-5297 / Fax 250-782-7746
stasiukreception@neonet.bc.ca
Address
200 – 190 Ingram Street
Duncan, B.C. V9L 1P1
Phone (250) 746-4422 / Fax (250) 746-1811
macduncan@macisaacgroup.com
BUCKLEY & COMPANY
By appointment only
Phone 250-372-1404
shawn@buckleyandco.ca
buckleyandco.ca
KIMMITT WRZESNIEWSKI
Address
202 – 1433 St. Paul Street
Kelowna, B.C. V1Y 2E4
Phone (250) 763-6441 / Fax (250) 763-1633
info@kimmitt.ca
kimmitt.ca
By Appointment Only
Call Toll Free 1-800-663-6299
Or email info@macisaacgroup.com
CHRISTOPHER H. JOHNSTON LAW CORPORATION
Address
208 Broadway
Nakusp, B.C. V0G 1R0
Phone (250) 265-0108 / Fax (250) 837-7194
info@nakusplawyer.com
www.nakusplawyer.com
NOWOSAD & COMPANY
Address
8700 Market Street
PO Box 1289
Port Hardy, BC, V0N 2P0
Phone (250) 949-6031 / Fax (250) 949-2633
nowosad1@telus.net
NOWOSAD & COMPANY
Address
Box 308, 1750 Campbell Way
Port McNeill, B.C. V0N 2R0
Phone (250) 956-3228 / Fax (250) 949-2633
nowosad1@telus.net
BVD LAW CORPORATION
Address
450 Vancouver Street Prince George, BC V2L 5N2
Phone (250) 614-1283 / Fax (250) 614-1284
bvdlaw@telus.net
RODWAY & PERRY
Address
1 – 699 Beach Road
P.O. Box 138, Station Main
Qualicum Beach, B.C. V9K 1S7
Phone (250) 752-9526 / Fax (250) 752-9521
rodwayandperry@shaw.ca
GARY LILIENWEISS
Address
342 Kinchant Street
Quesnel, BC V2J 2R4
Phone 250.992.9090 / Fax 250.992.9779
garyjl@telus.net
ARROW LAW CORPORATION
Address
202 First Street East (beside The Cabin)
P.O. Box 2639
Revelstoke, B.C. V0E 2S0
Phone (250) 837-6171 / Fax (250) 837-7194
info@revelstokelawyer.com
www.revelstokelawyer.com
VERDURMEN AND COMPANY
Address
450 Lakeshore Drive
P.O. Box 826
Salmon Arm, BC, V1E 4N9
Phone (250) 833-0914 / Fax (250) 833-0924
vlex@telus.net
RALSTON AND ASSOCIATES
Address
606 – 15216 North Bluff Road
White Rock, BC, V4B 0A9
Phone 604-581-0807 / Fax 604-581-0809
stephen.h@ralstonandassociates.ca
ralstonandassociates.ca
By Appointment Only
Call Toll Free 1-800-663-6299
Or email info@macisaacgroup.com
By Appointment Only
Call Toll Free 1-800-663-6299
Or email info@macisaacgroup.com
BUCKLEY AND COMPANY
By appointment only
Phone 250-372-1404
shawn@buckleyandco.ca
buckleyandco.ca
Address
115 – 19 Dallas Road
Victoria, BC, V8V 5A6
Phone (250) 381-5353 / Fax (250) 380-7272
victoria@macisaacandcompany.com
BUCKLEY AND COMPANY
By appointment only
Phone 250-372-1404
shawn@buckleyandco.ca
buckleyandco.ca
SIRRS LLP
Address
PO Box 6060, 5220 51st Avenue
Wetaskiwin, Alberta T9A 2G3
Phone (780) 352-3301 / Fax (780) 352-5976
mail@sirrsllp.com
sirrsllp.com
SIRRS LLP
Address
5034 – 49 Avenue
PO Box 4546
Ponoka, Alberta T4J 1E1
Phone (403) 783-6021 / Fax (403) 783-8363
mail@sirrsllp.com
www.sirrsllp.com
SIRRS LLP
Address
4714 – 50 Avenue
Rimbey, Alberta
Phone (403) 843-6986 / Fax (403) 843-3799
mail@sirrsllp.com
www.sirrsllp.com