Reliance Standard Disability Appeals & Lawsuits

Long-term disability claims are often frustrating and complicated. Employees count on long-term disability policies to provide benefits if they become disabled and cannot work. 

However, insurance companies like Reliance Standard often deny valid long-term disability claims based on technicalities and bad faith. Most long-term insurance policies are governed by ERISA (the Employee Retirement Income Security Act), which further complicates appeals and lawsuits. Our Reliance Standard disability denial attorneys fight for the rights of disabled workers to receive the disability benefits they need and deserve.

If your Reliance Standard long-term disability claim has been denied, call 816-203-0143 to speak with our long-term disability attorneys. Get the information you need so you can be prepared to fight for your disability benefits. 

How Our Long-Term Disability Attorneys Can Help After a Denial from Reliance Standard

We understand you might be anxious about your long-terem disability claim, and you may have questions about an long-terem disability appeal. Our Reliance Standard disability denial lawyers suggest the following:

1.  Free Review of Your Denial Letter

Reliance Standard Disability claim denial appealGet the information you need so you can be prepared and understand how we will fight for your disability benefits. Our long-term disability lawyer will review your denial letter for free and advise you of a strategy to get your disability benefits started. We offer this service free of charge, but you need to act quickly. Your time to file a disability appeal is short. You only have 180 days to file the administrative appeal.

2.  Download a Free Copy of Our Disability Claims Book

You can learn more about long-term disability appeals in our free book. Our disability guide answers common questions about appealing denials of long-term disability claims and ERISA issues. In Danger: Proceed at Your Own Risk, you can learn things like:

  • The myths and truth about long-term disability insurance.Long-Term Disability Guide and information
  • The six things you need to do after receiving a denial letter.
  • How ERISA laws impact your disability claim, including appeals and lawsuits.
  • The most important thing you can do to get your long-term disability benefits started.
  • Three types of disability claims that most insurance companies deny.
  • The difference between ERISA disability claims and other disability claims.

Our lawyers have also created a library of articles and FAQs about disability claims you can access free of charge on our website.

3.  Contact Our Office to Speak with a Long-Term Disability Lawyer in Kansas City 

Call 816-203-0143 to talk to one of our Reliance Standard disability denial lawyers in Kansas City. ERISA disability denials are complicated. Many lawyers are not familiar with ERISA laws and requirements. We work with local counsel nationwide in preparing ERISA long-term disability appeals.

Why Did Reliance Standard Deny Your Long-Term Disability Claim?

Long-term disability insurance companies want to make money. They are for-profit entities. Paying disability claims hurts an insurance company’s bottom line. Therefore, insurance companies search for ways to deny long-term disability claims for one fundamental reason — to increase profits by saving money on claims. 

Companies train claims adjusters and investigators to look for any way the company can deny a long-term disability claim. Some tactics utilize ERISA rules, which favor insurance companies, or a judge’s inclination to give an insurance company the benefit of the doubt in ERISA lawsuits. 

Some common insurance tactics that Reliance Standard and other companies use to deny long-term disability claims include:

  • Claiming that your medical evidence is not sufficient to prove you are unable to work.
  • Alleging that the long-term disability insurance policy does not cover the disability.
  • Requiring you to submit overly burdensome documents in hopes that you give up.
  • Using a Transitional Skills Analysis (TSA) or Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) report to claim you can perform some skills that would transition into a job, even if you never worked in that field.
  • Using physicians or medical experts hired by the insurance company to refute your doctor’s findings.

Fighting back against these and other insurance tactics used to deny disability claims is what our long-term disability attorneys do. Our lawyers have acquired substantial skills, experience, resources, and knowledge over years of handling ERISA long-term disability appeals. 

Let us help you. Call 816-203-0143 to talk to one of our Reliance Standard long-term disability attorneys about your claim. 

Reliance Standard Disability Claims & Appeals Are Different 

If ERISA covers your long-term disability insurance, you should receive a notice. Having our  long-term disability lawyers review the denial letter is an excellent way to determine if ERISA applies if you are unsure. Because ERISA long-term disability claims are different, we strongly urge you to consult with our long-term disability attorney before filing your appeal.

For example, ERISA requires that you file an administrative claim with the insurance provider before you can file a long-term disability lawsuit. Reliance Standard has 45 days to review your appeal. It can request an extension of 45 days if it needs more time to review the materials.

If Reliance Standard denies the appeal, you can then file a lawsuit asking a judge to review the case. However, ERISA does not permit you to add any documentation or evidence during the lawsuit. The lawsuit is based on the evidence presented during the administrative appeal, which is another way the laws favor insurance providers.

Therefore, your administrative appeal must include all evidence related to your long-term disability claim. If you fail to include sufficient evidence in the administrative appeal, you could lose the long-term disability lawsuit.

Do I Need a Long-Term Disability Attorney to Appeal a Reliance Standard Denial?

Hiring an attorney to handle your administrative appeal may be in your best interest. A long-term disability attorney with ERISA experience knows what evidence is needed to build a strong appeal. The attorney also understands that any evidence not included in the administrative claim will not be allowed in court.

Your attorney ensures that the required evidence and documentation is included in the administrative appeal, including but not limited to:

  • All medical records and evidence
  • Statements from your physicians regarding your medical condition and its impact on your ability to work
  • All legal citations, including statutes and case law, supporting your disability claim
  • Statements from expert witnesses, medical specialists, friends, family, and co-workers
  • Any relevant information from your employer or Reliance Standard regarding your long-term disability claim

ERISA is a complicated area of law that can confuse some lawyers. If you choose to file your disability appeal without an attorney, you are going up against a team of seasoned and knowledgeable legal professionals. They understand ERISA and how to use it for the insurance company’s benefit. 

Reliance Standard and other long-term disability insurance providers prefer you to handle your administrative appeal yourself. Without an attorney to guide you through the appeals process, you are more likely to make a mistake that could give the insurance company a greater advantage.

Do not give an long-term disability insurance company more of an advantage in the claims process than they already have under ERISA. Hire an experienced long-term disability lawyer to handle your appeal. Even the playing field to give yourself the best chance of winning your appeal so that you can get the disability money you deserve.

Contact Our Reliance Standard Disability Denial Lawyer

The Law Office of Kevin J. McManus handles long-term disability appeals throughout Missouri and Kansas, and since ERISA is a federal law, we handle ERISA disability claims, including those denied by Reliance Standard, throughout the country with the assistance of local counsel for no extra fee.

If your long-term disability claim was denied, get the advice you need to make the best decision for your situation. Take advantage of our free denial letter review. We want to help you win your appeal for long-term disability benefits. Call 816-203-0143 now to schedule a consultation with a long-term disability lawyer in Kansas City.

 

Kevin J. McManus
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Kevin McManus is an accident injury and disability lawyer in Kansas City, MO, and Overland Park, KS