Two Mistakes People Make When Filing an ERISA Disability Claim
Filing an ERISA claim for long-term disability benefits is notoriously challenging. You have to be at the top of your game; otherwise, your claim may be denied, forcing you to waste several months starting all over. Here are two common mistakes people make when filing a claim for compensation and what you can do to avoid them.
Depending on Your Employer or Human Resources Officer
Possibly the biggest and most common mistake people make when filing a claim is depending on their bosses or human resources officers to help them. For instance, the person's boss may decide he or she is too ill or injured to continue working and the employee may attempt to use that rationale when asking for benefits.
The truth is, when filing a claim, you will be working with an insurance company, not your boss or human resource officer. They can certainly be good sources of information and support. However, insurance companies have a certain standard claims must meet before they are approved. For example, you will typically be required to submit reports from your doctor(s) detailing your condition and treatments. If you don't meet their standard, you claim will be denied.
It's important to talk to a representative at the insurance company about the claims process and the information you need to submit to it. Even better, you should hire an attorney with experience handling ERISA claims to help you navigate the process and increase your chances of getting approved.
Thinking the Insurance Company Isn't Watching You
It may sound very Big Brother-ish, but as soon as you submit a claim, you must assume the company is keeping tabs on you. Insurance fraud accounts for $80 billion in losses every year in every industry. These losses cut directly into the company's profits, so you can be certain it will take every precaution to ensure the claim is legit, including hiring a private investigator to monitor your activities.
Oftentimes, the insurance company will send claimants activity reports for them to complete. If you receive one, that's your cue the company has some suspicions about your claim and may be watching you. It's critical that if the doctor advises you to avoid participating in certain activities, you follow his or her direction, even if you are feeling better than normal on a particular day. The last thing you need is to be accused of insurance fraud because that could tank your chances of ever being approved for benefits.
For more information about these and other mistakes people make when filing ERISA claims or assistance with your case, contact an attorney like those at Iler and Iler.