After years of contributing to the Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) system and regularly paying the monthly premiums for disability insurance coverage, you probably expect that you will receive the benefits that you have paid for in the event you become disabled. Unfortunately, many disability claimants in Norfolk receive a denial letter rather than the benefits they were counting on to provide for themselves and their families. Ortiz Law Firm understands what it takes to get a disability claim approved, and will fight for the benefits that you deserve. our primary practice areas are long-term disability, ERISA, and disability insurance, and SSDI claims.
Ortiz Law Firm Handles Long Term Disability Claims in Norfolk, Virginia
We will go to bat against any of the major insurance companies with a presence in Virginia despite the fact that these companies have millions of dollars in resources to fight your claim. The current status of your claim 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 have received a lump sum buyout or 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.
We Represent Long Term Disability Claimants Nationwide
Ortiz Law Firm has the experience to handle all insurance disability matters, but we focus primarily on wrongfully denied long-term disability (LTD) claims in Norfolk, VA, and nationwide. The stories we hear from the policyholders that contact our firm are often very similar: they cannot believe that after paying the insurer for months, sometimes even years, that they are being denied benefits. Unfortunately, we have seen that even the most deserving claimants will likely be denied for one reason or another. At the end of the day, the insurance company is still a business, and it is in their best interest to deny claims.
Most of the major insurance companies insure individuals 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 you, we use an electronic signature service for any documents that require your signature, and then we e-mail and communicate by phone. Everything can be done by mail, fax, and e-mail.
If it is necessary to file a lawsuit, most LTD cases (not all, but most) are governed by a federal regulation called ERISA. Under ERISA, 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 still 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 we cannot assist you, we will attempt to refer you to another lawyer that can.
Norfolk Courts, Government, and Department of Insurance Information
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
Liberty Failed To Consider The Plaintiff’s Job Description
Court Rules Unum Did Not Abuse Discretion in Denying Claim
Norfolk Social Security Disability Lawyers
Since Social Security is a federal program, you have always had the ability to hire a Social Security Disability attorney anywhere in the country; however, the travel requirements made this impractical for many representatives. The Social Security Administration is now conducting hearings using the Microsoft Teams platform, so a Social Security Disability attorney anywhere in the United States can handle a Norfolk Social Security Disability claim with ease.
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 represent Social Security Disability claimants in Norfolk, Virginia. Our Norfolk Social Security Disability lawyers handle claims at the following stages of the process:
- the Initial Application for Social Security Disability benefits,
- the Request for Reconsideration of a denied claim for Social Security Disability benefits or SSI, and
- the Hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (or multiple hearings, if necessary).
How Does Social Security Disability Lawyer Get Paid?
Many Social Security Disability lawyers in Norfolk, VA, and across the country use a contingency fee agreement, with the contingency being that claimants only pay an attorney’s fee if their Social Security Disability claims are approved. If the claim is approved, the attorney’s fee is typically 25% of any past-due Social Security Disability benefits, up to a maximum of $6,000.00.
Norfolk SSA Locations and Resources
Directions to the local Social Security Administration Office
The Social Security Administration website
Schedule a Free Case Evaluation with a Norfolk Disability Attorney
Schedule a free case evaluation and find out more about how our disability attorneys are serving disability claimants in Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and throughout the state of New Jersey. We offer a free case evaluation for LTD claimants whose claims for disability benefits have been wrongfully denied or terminated, and for Norfolk Social Security Disability claimants who are at the initial, reconsideration, or hearing stage of the process.
You won’t pay any fees unless your claim is successful and you receive disability benefits. We offer a No Recovery, Zero Fee Guarantee – meaning our disability attorneys 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. You only have a limited time to appeal a disability benefits denial, so call us today at (888) 321-8131 to schedule your free consultation.