Philadelphia Area Short & Long Term Disability Lawyers
Social Security Disability Attorneys for Private Disability Policies
If you can’t work, you are entitled to file for Social Security Disability benefits. However, you may have other options available, as well. One of these options is available through a private disability policy. Short and long term disability benefits can often be obtained at the same time that you’re collecting Social Security Disability benefits. A lawyer with experience handling long term disability and short term disability cases will be able to help you navigate the process of applying and collecting these payments.
If you have questions about your disability benefits and live in Camden, NJ, or Delaware County, Montgomery County, or Philadelphia, PA, the long and short term disability lawyers at Silver & Silver are ready to answer them. In fact, having a Social Security Disability attorney by your side when filing for private disability benefits or even SSI Disability in Philadelphia, PA, is crucial for ensuring the success of your claim.
Call our team today to schedule a consultation.
Defining General and Residual Disability
Long term disability policies are generally divided into two types of potential coverage: general disability and residual disability.
General Disability refers to the inability to perform the duties and responsibilities of any type of occupation. An occupational policy refers to the inability to perform the material duties of your own occupation or specialty (i.e., if you worked as an orthopedic surgeon, then an occupational policy would consider whether you can continue in that capacity).
Most current policies carry language indicating that you must be unable to perform the significant duties of your own occupation for a period of two years. Following two years, you must then be unable to perform any type of job.
Residual Disability refers to a policy where you must have an injury or impairment that does not allow you to perform some of the material duties of your job or not be able to work for the same number of hours, resulting in an income loss. If this occurs, you may be able to obtain benefits to compensate for your loss of income.
Most policies have an age limit as to how long you can collect on your policy. Typically, policies either completely cut off benefits at age 65 or sharply reduce them at that time. In the case of mental impairments, almost all policies limit you to 24 months of benefits. While courts have repeatedly upheld this practice, insurance carriers at times try to say that disability is due to a mental impairment, when, in fact, this may not be the case.
For more information about General and Residual Disability coverage and how these terms apply to you, contact the short and long term disability lawyers at Silver & Silver.
Click here to Read MoreShort and Long Term Disability Lawyers for Individual Policies
Another factor to consider is whether you have a group or individual insurance policy. Group policies often only pay a percentage of relevant earnings. Therefore, it might be advisable to carry your own individual policy, in addition to what your employer may provide.
One type of suit involving long term disability policies occurs under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) law. ERISA applies when there is an employee benefit plan. This coverage has been found to apply when an employer has purchased the insurance policy that covers his or her employees.
Each long term disability policy is different and, sometimes, these differences can be critically important and difficult to make sense of. Therefore, it is advisable to seek a short and long term disability insurance lawyer to help analyze your particular policy to help you determine the best course of action moving forward.
Contact Our Long and Short Term Disability Attorneys Today
At Silver & Silver, our short and long term disability insurance attorneys have assisted the disabled with Social Security Disability benefits, SSI disability, as well as short and long term disability policies for more than 40 years. Additionally, our firm is home to the leading child disability lawyers in Montgomery County.
Each disability lawyer at our firm has a long track record of success representing clients in Montgomery County, Delaware County, Camden, NJ, and the surrounding South Jersey areas. If you need a short or long term disability lawyer or workers’ compensation attorney in Philadelphia, PA, contact Silver & Silver today to schedule a free consultation.
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