A disabling illness or injury can happen at any time. You may be involved in a car accident and suffer a debilitating spinal injury, or you may experience a sudden heart attack or stroke. At Ortiz Law Firm, we represent long term disability claimants that suffer from a variety of disabling conditions. If you are unable to work as a result of an injury or accident and the insurance company has denied or terminated your claim then contact our office right away to see what a St. Petersburg long term disability lawyer can do for you. We offer a no recovery, zero-fee guarantee, which means that we will only get paid if we are able to recover benefits for you.
Ortiz Law Firm Helps With St. Petersburg Long Term Disability Claimants
A question we often receive is: “Can you represent me if I’m not in your local area?”
The answer is yes! We can represent individuals anywhere in the United States, and even around the world. Let us explain why.
Many long term disability claims, governed by a federal regulation called ERISA, don’t require a jury trial or extensive in-person proceedings. Instead, the process involves a lot of paperwork, brief writing, and mail correspondence. This means we can handle federal court cases in any state. Though the Ortiz Law Firm is based in Pensacola, Florida, attorney Nick Ortiz can handle cases throughout the entire United States. Communicating with us is easy, no matter where you are. We use electronic signature services, email, fax, and phone calls to keep in touch with our clients.
While there might be some situations where representation is not possible due to location, we consider each case individually. Nick Ortiz can either be admitted to your local federal court through a pro hac vice admission or file a lawsuit in Florida. If we can’t assist you, we will try to refer you to another law firm that can help.
Non-Medical Requirements
There may be some qualifying requirements to be eligible for long term disability insurance benefits, such as being a “full-time” employee. Some common requirements include:
- You must meet the employment requirement. You must become disabled during the time you are or were employed.
- You must meet the minimum work hours requirement. Most policies require you to work full-time, but the exact requirements will be outlined in your policy.
- You must meet the waiting period requirement. In most cases, there is a period of time that you must wait to receive benefits, sometimes called an “elimination period.”
Medical Requirements
The most time-consuming part of a long term disability claim is obtaining the medical evidence to support your claim. Ultimately, it is the claimant’s burden to provide proof of their disability. Most policies require proof of objective evidence, which is evidence that the insurance company cannot deny exists, such as:
- Electrocardiograms
- X-rays
- MRIs
- CT Scans
- Blood tests
- Psychological tests
Working With a St. Petersburg Long Term Disability Attorney
In summary, you should not allow our geographic location to limit your contacting us to see what we can do to help you. Ortiz Law Firm offers a free case evaluation for claims that have been denied or terminated. Please give us a call right away at (888) 321-8131 to discuss your legal rights with a St. Petersburg long term disability lawyer. We would welcome the opportunity to discuss your legal rights with you.