Long Term Disability Law Blog
Attorneys Gregory Dell, Rachel Alters, and Caesar Gavidia discuss a long-term disability appeal case that Rachel won against Standard Insurance Company. Rachel’s client, a registered nurse with multiple back and knee surgeries, had her benefits denied after the policy’s definition changed from “own occupation” to “any occupation.”
Rachel explains how insurance companies often use their own in-house doctors to justify denials and why that’s legally allowed, though biased. To win the disability insurance appeal, Rachel strengthened the medical evidence—sending the client back to her doctors for updated documentation, arranging a functional capacity evaluation, obtaining custom physician statements, and hiring a vocational expert to counter Standard’s analysis.
Caesar emphasizes that building a strong appeal is crucial because, if the case later goes to court, no new evidence can be added—the judge only reviews what was included in the appeal. The lawyers stress the importance of hiring experienced disability attorneys early, filing the appeal within 180 days, and including every piece of supporting evidence.