You bought disability insurance and contributed to the Social Security Disability system for a reason. You wanted the peace of mind that comes with knowing that if you were to become disabled in the future, you would be able to receive the benefits you need to care for yourself and your loved ones. Unfortunately, many disability claimants in Chesapeake receive a denial letter rather than the benefits they were counting on. Ortiz Law Firm understands what it takes to get a disability claim approved, and will fight for the benefits you deserve.
Do you need help with your Chesapeake Social Security Disability claim or a disability insurance claim? If so, you’ve come to the right place, as these are the primary practice areas that our lawyers focus on. Continue reading or request a free consultation to learn more about how a Chesapeake disability lawyer at our office can help you win your case.
Chesapeake, VA Long Term Disability Lawyers
We have gone to bat against all of the major insurance companies with a presence in Chesapeake, Virginia. Where you are at in the claim process determines what we can do to help. If your claim for benefits has been wrongfully denied or terminated, we will represent you through the administrative appeals process. If you have already filed all of the appeals that are available to you, we will file a lawsuit against the insurance company. If you are already receiving benefits and have received a lump sum settlement offer from the insurer, we will help you evaluate the fairness of the offer. In some cases, we may even be able to negotiate for a higher settlement amount.
Our attorneys have the experience to handle all insurance disability matters, but we focus primarily on wrongfully denied long-term disability cases in Chesapeake, Virginia, and nationwide. Many of the calls we receive are very similar. The claimant is shocked that they are being denied the benefits that they paid for. Unfortunately, we know that even the most deserving claimants will likely be denied for one reason or another. It is in the insurance company’s best interest to deny claims, so this comes as no surprise.
How Can You Help If You Aren’t In Chesapeake, VA?
Most of the major insurance carriers offer insurance policies nationwide. As such, you can typically submit an application for benefits or appeal a denial via mail, e-mail, and facsimile. As far as communicating with clients, we use an electronic signature service for correspondence that requires your signature, and then we e-mail and fax and communicate by phone. Everything can be done by mail, fax, and e-mail.
If it is necessary to file a lawsuit, most claims (not all, but most) are governed by a federal regulation called ERISA. If your claim is governed by ERISA disability law, you do not have the right to a jury trial, and in most cases, you do not have the right to engage in extensive discovery. At the end of the day, that means most of the case is paper-driven, involving a lot of brief writing and a lot of correspondence by mail. There are very few court appearances required.
We evaluate each case on a case-by-case basis. Nick Ortiz can either be admitted to your local federal court by what we would call a pro hac vice admission, or he can file a lawsuit here in the state of Florida. If a lawyer at our firm cannot assist you, we will attempt to refer you to another disability lawyer that can handle a claim in Chesapeake.
Chesapeake, VA Courts, Government, and Department of Insurance Information
Virginia is divided into two judicial districts that are referred to as the Eastern and Western Districts. The Eastern District comprises the counties of Accomac, Amelia, Arlington, Brunswick, Caroline, Charles City, Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, Elizabeth City, Essex, Fairfax, Fauquier, Gloucester, Goochland, Greensville, Hanover, Henrico, Isle of Wight, James City, King and Queen, King George, King William, Lancaster, Loudoun, Lunenburg, Mathews, Mecklenburg, Middlesex, New Kent, Norfolk, Northampton, Northumberland, Nottoway, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Prince George, Prince William, Richmond, Southampton, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Suffolk, Surry, Sussex, Westmoreland, and York.
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia has jurisdiction in the City of Chesapeake. Court for the Eastern District is held in Alexandria, Newport News, Norfolk, and Richmond.
Eastern District of Virginia | United States District Court
United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
Official government website for the State of Virginia
Virginia Insurance Commissioner
Eastern District of Virginia Case Summaries
The cases below were not handled by Ortiz Law Firm, but will give you an idea as to how these cases are considered in the Eastern District of Virginia:
Liberty Failed To Consider The Plaintiff’s Job Description
Court Rules Unum Did Not Abuse Discretion in Denying Claim
Chesapeake Social Security Disability Lawyers
Nick Ortiz is a Board Certified Social Security Disability lawyer ready to fight for the benefits you deserve. Although our office is based in Pensacola, Florida, we do handle Chesapeake Social Security Disability claims. The Social Security Administration will soon be conducting hearings using the Microsoft Teams platform, so it will be easier than ever to represent claimants across the country. Social Security Disability lawyers will not have to travel to a claimant’s local hearing office and can appear at a hearing from anywhere in the country.
Our Social Security Disability lawyers represent Social Security Disability claimants at the following stages:
- Initial Application
- Request for Reconsideration
- Hearing before an Administrative Law Judge
Our Social Security Disability lawyers do not handle cases at the Appeals Council or Federal Court level, but we may be able to refer you to another Social Security Disability lawyer that does handle cases at these levels in Chesapeake.
Chesapeake, VA SSA Locations and Resources
Directions to the Chesapeake Social Security Administration Office
The Social Security Administration’s website, which can be used to confirm your non-medical eligibility for Social Security Disability benefits and to complete the online application or appeal process
Information about the Norfolk Office of Hearing Operations / Office of Disability Adjudication and Review that processes Chesapeake Social Security cases at the hearing level of the claim process
Top 10 Mistakes Social Security Disability Claimants Make
Schedule a Free Consultation with a Chesapeake Disability Lawyer
Schedule a free consultation and find out more about how a disability lawyer at Ortiz Law Firm can help disability claimants in Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, and any other cities throughout the state. We offer a free consultation for long-term disability claimants whose claims have been wrongfully denied or terminated, and for Chesapeake Social Security Disability benefits claims at the initial, reconsideration, or hearing stage of the process.
As for attorney’s fees, we offer a No Recovery, Zero Fee Guarantee – meaning we only get paid if you get paid! So there is no risk if you decide to hire an attorney to assist you through the disability claim process. Don’t struggle on your own. Call the Ortiz Law Firm at (866) 853-4512 or contact us online to schedule your free consultation.