How Do I Convince My Insurance Provider to Approve My Claim?

When it comes to a long term disability claim, the diagnosis is only half the battle. You still need to get your insurance company to approve your disability. Most providers will be hesitant to do so and will scrutinize your application to find a way to invalidate your claim and avoid paying benefits. So what can you do to make sure your claim makes it through the rigorous review process? Generally speaking, more evidence is always better. X-rays, CAT scans, MRIs, ultrasounds, and other test results can all serve as irrefutable evidence of a medical condition. If you can...

Managing Pressure & Denied Disability Benefits

Mark grew up in Cambridge, Ontario, and spent his entire life there. He loved being close to family and friends. He had a great community and a nice life. He had a stable job as an Assembly-Plant Quality Monitor, and his supervisors appreciated his hard work. He was well-liked amongst his colleagues.  Throughout his 20s and 30s, Mark experienced acute bouts of depression. Now, at age 53, it had been years since he’d had an episode and he generally felt stable and secure in his mental health. However, over the last few months, he had been more lethargic than usual....

[VIDEO] Teachers, Chronic Pain, & the Importance of Disability Benefit...

The need for disability benefits can feel unnecessary. To the average person who has never experienced physical or mental impairments, it can be incomprehensible. But the fact is that some disabilities actively inhibit your ability to function on a day-to-day basis. If you can’t function normally during your daily routines, going to work and performing to a set standard will also be next to impossible. Teachers who suffer from chronic pain are an excellent example of why disability benefits are so necessary.  Most teachers spend their days on their feet in front of...

The Link Between Workplace Stress & Mental Health

People are increasingly aware of the prevalence of mental health issues in the workplace. It is estimated that one in five Canadian workers are struggling with a mental health issue at any given time. That figure translates to roughly 3.4 million people, 500,000 of whom call in sick every week due to a mental health condition. However, many Canadians may not realize that work-related stress is one of the most significant contributors to those numbers. In a study of Canadian workers, the Globe and Mail found that a full 34% of those dealing with a mental health problems...

Managing Stress with a Disability: Life After Your Settlement

After your settlement, there will be a feeling of great relief. However, the calm after the storm comes with its own set of challenges.  Adjusting to life with a disability is never easy. Change is difficult, and finding ways to cope with certain limitations is a challenge. Learning to accept your disability is a process, filled with highs and lows. Experts encourage those in this situation to allow themselves a period of mourning. Experiencing sadness and frustration is normal, and should not be suppressed. Allowing yourself to feel and express yourself honestly...

[VIDEO] Invisible Disabilities & Insurance Claims: What You Need To Kn...

When it comes to filing a claim for disability benefits, some ailments are easier to prove than others. Invisible disabilities, for example, are notoriously difficult to demonstrate which can make proving the necessity of benefits that much harder. So just what constitutes an invisible disability? And what do you need to know to successfully apply for disability benefits when you have one?  “The reason they refer to them as an invisible disability,” says Associate Lawyer Allison Gilmour, “is because it’s something that doesn’t necessarily show up on a medical test....

Connection Between Fibromyalgia & Stress

One of the most stressful aspects of living with a chronic condition is dealing with the unknown. In many situations, symptoms can vary and change over time, as can the effectiveness of various treatments. Without a clear path for dealing with pain, a person can become anxious, stressed, and depressed.  Fibromyalgia is one such condition. It is long-term and causes pain and tenderness throughout the body. When symptoms temporarily increase in severity, it is called a flare-up. Due to the nature of fibromyalgia, flare-ups can make many activities in day to day life...

Raquelle Won Her Benefits With the Help of Share Lawyers

For Raquelle, things took a turn for the worse after her company was bought out. The new ownership wanted to switch everything to different software and systems, and as an IT Support Clerk, it fell to Raquelle to facilitate the transition. Normally, that wouldn’t have been a problem. However, she didn’t realize how much of the assignment she would have to shoulder on her own. Though Raquelle was one of several clerks, the rest of the team was let go when her new bosses decided it would be easier to start from scratch with an IT team trained exclusively on the new...