If you submitted a claim through an Ontario long-term disability insurance plan that you purchased privately or obtained through your employer, and your claim was denied or your benefits were cut, you don’t have to fight the decision on your own. Lawyers for long-term disability insurance Ontario are knowledgeable about the tactics insurance companies use to deny benefits. They can help you file an appeal and use legal action if your claim was denied or your benefits were reduced or terminated.

What is Ontario Long-Term Disability Insurance?

Ontario long-term disability insurance is a type of insurance plan that offers financial benefits in the event an individual is involved in an accident that renders them unable to earn an income. Long-term disability insurance plans may be purchased privately or through an employer.

Policyholders pay a certain amount each month to keep their policy active so that the benefits may be available to them if needed.

What are the Ontario Long-Term Disability Benefits?

If a long-term disability claim is approved, the benefits typically involve payment equivalent to a certain percentage of the policyholder’s monthly income. This percentage will depend on several factors, including the specific policy terms and whether the policyholder is considered to have a total or partial disability. 

Unfortunately, insurance companies don’t always have their policyholders’ best interests at heart. They often use tactics to deny legitimate long-term disability claims. The denial letter that the insurance company sends will have important information about the denial, including the reason your benefits were denied and information from your medical reports to support this denial. The letter will also include a date, which starts the clock ticking on the appeals process.

When Should You Hire a LTD Lawyer?

The decision to hire a long-term disability insurance lawyer is up to you. Lawyers for long-term disability insurance Ontario are knowledgeable about the tactics insurance companies may use to deny claims, so you can hire them to help you fill out your application for benefits if you choose to do so.

The most critical time to reach out to a LTD lawyer is after you receive notice that your application for Ontario long-term disability benefits has been denied or that your benefits have been cut. Your insurance company will set strict deadlines that you will need to meet. Failure to meet these deadlines will result in the loss of your potential benefits. Many lawyers for long-term disability insurance Ontario offer free consultations that can help you decide whether it makes sense for you to hire a lawyer to help you fight for your LTD benefits.

What Do Lawyers for Long-Term Disability Insurance Ontario Cost?

The cost to hire lawyers for long-term disability insurance Ontario depends on a number of factors. The biggest factors include the scope of the work involved in the specific case and the financial risk the lawyer faces.

There are four types of services that are typically associated with Ontario long-term disability benefits, and they may include a free consultation, paid consultation, projects, and/or full representation.

Most lawyers for long-term disability Ontario offer a free consultation, which may provide helpful information about your rights and options. This free consultation can also help you decide whether it makes sense to appeal the long-term disability benefits denial on your own or if you would benefit from hiring a lawyer to help.

You may also pay a lawyer a one-time fee for a paid consultation if you are seeking specific legal advice about your situation. To prepare for a paid consultation, you should bring in documentation about your specific long-term disability policy and other information that will help the lawyer understand your situation. These paid consultations may cost between $50 and $1,000, although for common issues, you probably won’t pay more than $300 for the consultation. Make sure you confirm the lawyer’s hourly rate and get a time estimate before the consultation so you’ll be able to estimate your cost in advance.

You can also hire a lawyer to help you with limited-scope legal services, such as preparing a long-term disability application, appealing a long-term disability denial, or acting as your legal representative during an appeal hearing. The amount you will pay depends on the complexity of your specific situation and whether the lawyer will have to request documentation from other agencies.

Although you don’t need to have a lawyer present at an appeal hearing, having a lawyer represent you can greatly improve your chances of winning. However, this type of representation may cost thousands of dollars. 

You may also decide to have a lawyer provide full representation for your long-term disability case. The cost for this full representation could range from about $5,000 to $100,000 (although it is rare for a client to pay this much).

It is important to note that many lawyers for long-term disability Ontario offer a contingency fee agreement, which means that you won’t pay anything unless you win your case. Any lawyers’ fees will be taken from the amount that you win. However, this type of fee arrangement involves a great deal of financial risk to the lawyer.

How Can They Help?

Lawyers for long-term disability insurance Ontario can help in a variety of ways. They can help decipher vague and complicated language that is commonly used in LTD policies to confuse policyholders. They can review your policy and reasons provided for your long-term disability denial to help you understand the reasons for your LTD benefits denial. A lawyer can also help you gather the necessary documentation and evidence needed to appeal the insurance company’s decision.

Where Can I Find Lawyers for Long-Term Disability Insurance Ontario? 

Finding a lawyer to help with your long-term disability claim can be overwhelming. If you have any friends or family members who hired a lawyer to help them with long-term disability benefits, you can ask them for a recommendation. An easy way to connect with lawyers for long-term disability insurance in Ontario is to simply use the form on this page to submit your information for lawyers to review. If you have a potential case, you will be contacted for a free consultation.