If Sun Life Insurance Company has denied your long-term disability, our attorney can help

If you've suffered an illness or injury and can’t work, your long-term disability (LTD) insurance is supposed to assist you. If your LTD policy was issued by Sun Life Insurance Company and you qualify for benefits, Sun Life is supposed to pay a portion of your income.

However, your LTD benefits won't be paid until Sun Life has accepted your claim. Working with insurance companies is not always straightforward, particularly when it comes to receiving LTD benefits. Insurance companies frequently reject long-term disability claims.

If you have been denied long-term disability benefits by Sun Life, our experienced long-term disability attorney will review your Sun Life denial letter for free and provide a strategy on how to get your benefits reinstated.  Call the Law Office of Kevin McManus at 816-203-0143 or contact us through our website email or chat to get your free long-term disability denial letter review started.

Our ERISA-trained attorney is one of the few nationwide experienced in the law that governs these types of appeals.  He knows how to navigate handling appeals with Sun Life and have them reinstate your benefits. If you have already filed your appeal on your own (we don’t recommend this!), we may still be able to file a lawsuit against Sun Life.  We must act quickly, there are short deadlines that apply.  Call us today at 816-203-0143.  We're here to help!

About Sun Life Long-Term Disability Insurance

Sun Life Financial Inc. is one of the largest insurance firms globally and is well-recognized for its life and disability insurance products. The firm provides short- and long-term disability insurance, which your employer may purchase as a group policy.

Most group disability policies issued by Sun Life are governed by ERISA, a federal law that largely favors the insurance company. As a result, Sun Life can be aggressive in denying LTD claims, which can result in wrongful denials.

Sun Life Financial has a notorious history of delaying or rejecting claims to avoid paying benefits to insured parties. They often try to persuade the insured person to accept a sum less than the benefit specified in their plan. So don't accept any Sun Life settlement offers before talking to our long-term disability insurance attorney who can work through the actual numbers.

If Sun Life denied your long-term disability claim, our attorney has years of experience with ERISA and LTD appeals and litigation.  He will review your denial letter from Sun Life for free and provide you with a strategy on how to fight back.  Because it's so critical to be careful in filling out the documentation completely and precisely, our attorney will assist you in handling all the details in applying for the benefits you deserve.  Call us today at 816-203-0143.

Why Was Your Sun Life Long-Term Disability Insurance Claim Denied?

If your LTD claim was denied by Sun Life, you should receive a denial letter explaining why. Unfortunately, many long-term disability insurance carriers may reject valid claims to avoid paying benefits. They could also use ambiguous phrasing, making consumers think they don't fulfill the criteria for total disability when they indeed should be eligible for Sun Life's long-term disability benefits.

Some of the most common reasons why Sun Life denies long-term disability benefits include:

Sun Life's Medical Consultant Claimed You Are Not Disabled

Sun Life's medical reviewer may examine your health records and determine you aren't disabled. These medical professionals should be objective in their evaluations, but they typically are not. They work for the insurance provider, Sun Life, and likely wrote their opinion without even seeing you in person. You need a doctor who can offer unbiased, objective evidence for your LTD claim to succeed and our attorney who can ensure that the legal requirements for a fair consideration of your LTD claim are met.

Sun Life Employed Surveillance Tactics

Sun Life may hire a private detective to keep an eye on you. These strategies include social media surveillance, stakeouts near your residence, photos, videos, and other visual evidence. When the investigator finds something even remotely contradicting your claim, the insurance company will use it to cancel or deny your claim.

Your Medical Evidence Wasn't Enough

The main piece of evidence that claimants provide is their medical records. However, these documents aren't always sufficient to support a claim. Sun Life may decide that your supporting documentation was insufficient to demonstrate your eligibility for a disability benefit. As a result, it's critical that claimants provide our attorney with as much supporting documentation as they can.

What Is Needed to Appeal a Sun Life Long-Term Disability Claim Denial?

If you received a denial letter from Sun Life, after contacting us, there are certain things you should do. First, request the complete claim file from Sun Life to determine what evidence or arguments they are using to deny your claim.  Next, gather the best supporting evidence for your appeal. Use this chance to strengthen any weak sections of your claim and address any inconsistencies or inaccuracies used by Sun Life.

Our attorney understands it is essential to submit the strongest, most comprehensive evidence possible during the appeals phase.  If your group policy is governed by ERISA, no new evidence can be submitted after an appeal is filed. This means if your appeal is denied and a lawsuit is necessary, you cannot submit new evidence later in court.

In gathering the best proof possible for your appeal, our attorney may seek the following:

Obtain Additional Medical Evidence

As stated before, relying solely on medical records to support a claim is not always foolproof. A specialized report from your doctor should detail the elements of your condition and how your medical conditions restricts or limits your ability to work. 

It's critical to keep the lines of communication open with your doctor so they can correctly and fully describe how your medical condition affects your ability to do essential occupational duties. In some cases, opinions from independent external specialists who carry out functional capacity and neurophysiological assessments can also serve as further medical evidence.

Consult a Vocation Specialist

A vocational specialist can assess your capacity to carry out the responsibilities of a particular occupation. This assessment might highlight the restrictions your condition places on you. Additionally, a vocational specialist can attest to how your medical condition prevents you from performing certain duties.

Obtain Witness Statements from Coworkers, Family and Friends

Often, the people who see you each day know how your condition impacts your ability to function and work. Obtaining witness statements from family and friends can show how your condition affects you in your personal life. Witness statements from coworkers can speak to how your condition affects you in the workplace.

Stay Ahead of the Appeal Deadlines

Your appeal may be rejected by Sun Life if a deadline is missed. You typically have 180 days to file an appeal if Sun Life denies your disability claim. There have been several lawsuits with disability insurance firms about whether missing a deadline by a single day that just so happened to fall on a weekend or holiday should result in the claimant losing the opportunity to have their appeal taken into consideration.

This demonstrates the strictness of the deadlines, and the disability insurance provider's will to fight back against claims. Due to the strictness of ERISA deadlines, it is crucial to keep track of them so that you do not miss any.  This is why having our long-term disability attorney on your side will help!

Can You Appeal a Sun Life Long-Term Disability Claim on Your Own?

While you can appeal a Sun Life long-term disability denial on your own, we do not recommend it.  ERISA is a complex area of law, and you don’t want to get denied benefits on a technicality.  If Sun Life denied your LTD claim, we strongly recommend that you contact our experienced long-term disability lawyer to review your denial letter, free of charge.

When you hire us, our attorney will guide you through every step of the process and prepare and submit your LTD appeal to Sun Life on your behalf.  If your appeal is not successful, we handle all litigation needs for our clients for no extra fee. 

Remember, you must act quickly after a denial due to the strict deadlines.  Call us today at 816-203-0143, and let us help secure your benefits.

Get Help from Our Disability Attorney with Your Sun Life LTD Denial

When you work with The Law Office of Kevin McManus, our experienced long-term disability attorney will handle the appeal process on your behalf for the best chance to succeed so you get the long-term disability benefits you deserve. 

Contact us or call our long-term disability attorney at 816-203-0143 today to schedule a free review of your long-term disability denial letter. You can also instantly download our free guide for long-term disability appeals, Learn How to Fight Back and Win Your Appeal.  We're here to help, and on your side!