Working with the Right Pennsylvania Hip Injury Lawyer Can Help You Obtain Full Benefits from Your Disability Insurance Policy
You don’t have to be old and frail to become seriously disabled due to an injury to your hip or thigh. While it is true that the aging process makes these injuries more likely, the bodily changes that combine to create the “perfect storm” for hip damage begin to develop at a time when many people are still in the middle of their careers. Damage to a core component of your body can interfere with your ability to function in numerous ways, often making it impossible to work or even get through aspects of your daily life without intense pain and the need for significant assistance.
At Seltzer & Associates, our team has spent decades fighting for the rights of injured professionals, so we know how devastating hip and thigh injuries can be. At the same time, we also know that insurance companies often try to write off these injuries as minor or temporary. When policyholders apply to obtain benefits under their disability policies, the insurance companies will try to insist that claimants are exaggerating their symptoms or that the problems will soon “go away.” A Pennsylvania hip injury lawyer on our team can work to obtain compelling evidence and present persuasive arguments to demonstrate the debilitating impact of these injuries, so we can recover full benefits under our clients’ policies.
Common Causes of Hip and Thigh Injuries
Injuries to the hips and thighs can occur in a wide variety of ways. Often, factors combine to damage the critical bones and connective tissues that support the body’s weight in these areas.
Sometimes, the damage is caused by a sudden traumatic event such as a traffic accident. In other cases, it is not one single impact that causes the injuries but repeated motions that overwork tissues, such as daily running or enjoying high-impact sports. Degenerative conditions such as arthritis often damage joints and the connective tissues surrounding them.
The aging process contributes to the damage. Every year, bones lose density, leading to weak pressure points that can easily fracture during a fall or other impact. The loss of balance and plethora of medications prescribed as we age also increases the likelihood of traumatic falls that crush bones and tear tendons. Injuries to hips and thighs occur in adults of all ages and activity levels. Active adults who work out regularly are just as susceptible as those who spend most of their days reading and writing.
If you have been paying for long-term or short-term disability insurance, the cause of your injuries is not necessarily significant in terms of recovering benefits under your claim. What matters is demonstrating the severity of your injuries and the impact those injuries are having on your life.
Why Hip and Thigh Injuries So Frequently Impair Professional Ability
Injuries to the hip and thigh bones and connective tissues make it challenging to perform many basic tasks that are part of any job, but are particularly critical in professional roles. It is often impossible to stand or walk with a significant hip injury. This can prevent surgeons, dentists, chiropractors, and many other professionals from performing procedures that are central to their practice. It may not be possible to even sit upright without intense pain that interferes with the ability to concentrate.
While a lawyer with chronic pain or femoroacetabular impingement may be able to read a contract, for instance, that attorney might not be able to focus on spotting potential areas of concern for a business client. Professionals are expected to function at peak mental capacity, and anything that interferes with concentration can leave them potentially liable for malpractice. It is not a risk worth taking.
When pain and the other impacts of injuries interfere with professional ability, it is time to step back. It is for occurrences such as this that professionals purchase disability insurance. But insurance companies will often do everything in their power to avoid paying benefits. That’s why it can be so beneficial to work with a Pennsylvania hip injury lawyer who understands how to overcome the hurdles and recover the resources professionals need when injuries prevent them from working.
FAQs About Hip and Thigh Injuries in Disability Insurance Claims
What steps should I take to pursue disability benefits?
Disability insurance policies generally have short time limits on the ability to file a claim, so it is important to act quickly when a disability interferes with your ability to work. A Pennsylvania hip injury lawyer at Seltzer & Associates can assist right from the start of the application process. You will need to follow the requirements in your policy and provide medical evidence to substantiate the severity of your injuries and the impact of those injuries on the abilities associated with professional performance.
Can I still claim benefits if I can walk but cannot sit for long periods?
Any impairment that prevents you from performing at the level necessary to fulfill your job obligations should provide grounds for a benefit claim. The terms of your policy will determine precisely what conditions qualify you for benefits. If you contact a member of our team, we can review your policy and explain your coverage.
How does ERISA affect my claim if my insurance is through my firm or hospital?
ERISA establishes rules and limits that require you to take particular care when filing your claim and appealing any denials through the administrative process. You need to ensure that your claim is supported with appropriate evidence during this period because you cannot introduce further evidence later if you need to take your claim to court. That is why it is helpful to work with an experienced attorney if you need to appeal a denial of a claim under a policy subject to ERISA requirements.
Will my insurance company check to see if I am “really” injured?
Your insurance company will be seeking reasons to deny your claim ordiscontinue benefits, so it is quite likely that representatives will be watching you either in person or online to ascertain the impact your injuries are having on your life. It is important to be aware that anytime you are tagged on social media, information from a post or image could be used to argue that you are not really injured.
Seltzer & Associates Works to Secure Your Benefits When a Hip or Thigh Injury Prevents You from Working
It doesn’t seem fair that professional legal assistance is necessary just to get the benefits you are owed under the disability insurance policy you’ve been paying for all these years. However, insurance companies invest substantial amounts in claim defense, and they find increasingly creative ways to justify saying “no.”
At Seltzer & Associates, we understand disability insurance policies and the companies that provide them in a way few firms can match. We know how to work effectively to overcome the roadblocks and secure results. For a free consultation with a Pennsylvania hip injury lawyer to learn more about the assistance our team could provide in your situation, call us at 888-699-4222 or contact us online now.