If you are injured and will no longer be able to work and support yourself, filing for disability can be vital to ensuring your well being. There are several things you need to do to ensure that everything is filed correctly so you can decrease the chances of denial. The following are three things to be aware of so you don't compromise your claim.
#1: You may be under surveillance
It's not uncommon for insurance companies to surveil claimants to verify that they really are disabled. This is most commonly done by mining your social media feeds, but there is still the possibility of being followed during normal activities or photographed doing something in your own yard. Fortunately, this is an easy risk to avoid. Simply don't do anything that you shouldn't be doing because of the injury. Things like mowing the lawn or dancing all night at a club aren't usually congruent with a disability. As long as the activities you do aren't likely to irritate your injury, you can likely refute any "evidence" against you that the insurance agency digs up via surveillance.
#2: Compartmentalizing can lead to partial payments
You will be required to list your duties when you fill out your claim paperwork. Often, insurance companies will ask that you compartmentalize and add time percentages to each duty. What this means is that you will list out each individual duty you do, then add a percentage of how much of each day you spend on that duty. Unfortunately, this can be used against you. For example, if you spend 75 % of your day lifting heavy items, and 25 % of the day filling out paperwork on those items, an insurance company can argue that you can still work part time and only need 75% of your disability payments. To avoid this, simply compartmentalize the day into 100% lifting and processing items.
#3: Prepare for independent medical exams
It's not uncommon for the insurer to request an independent medical exam by a doctor of their choosing. This can be risky since it is a tool used to deny claims. Before giving in, make sure it is written into the insurance policy that this is a requirement. If it isn't, you can refuse the exam. Next, be prepared to fully detail your medical issues with this doctor. Bring in your diagnoses from your physician and compare the independent examiner's notes to your doctor. Also, insist that you are given a copy of all notes and findings so you can compare it. Finally, avoid answering any intrusive or probing questions, particularly if they have nothing to do with your injury or disability.
For more help, contact a disability insurance benefits attorney like those at Diamond Law Offices .
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