What We Do: Help with Long Term Disability (LTD) Appeals and Lawsuits
We help disability claimants receive the Long Term Disability (LTD) insurance benefits they are entitled to receive. If you have been denied benefits, we help prepare and file your administrative appeal with the insurance company in an effort to maximize the chances that your LTD claim will be approved. If your benefits have been cut-off or terminated, we help prepare the appeal to have your benefits reinstated. If you have exhausted your administrative appeals with the insurance company, we will may file a lawsuit against the insurance company.
Who We Represent
We only represent individuals who, due to illness or injury, can no longer continue to engage in full-time employment. We never assist insurance companies in denying claims.
Experienced Long Term Disability Attorney
Mr. Ortiz has been handling Long Term Disability claims since 2005. He is very familiar with the tactics used by disability insurance companies to wrongfully deny or terminate (cut-off) legitimate Long Term Disability insurance claims. Disability insurance companies are most famous for a tactic called “The 3 Ds” – delay, deny, and defend. First, the insurance company “delays” a decision on your claim. Even if they finally decide that you are eligible for benefits, they may “delay” your payments. Second, the insurance company may outright “deny” your claim, denying responsibility or coverage according to your policy. After denying your claim, you may have to take the insurance company to court, and they will use their high-priced lawyers to “defend” their decisions.
Other tactics used by disability insurance companies include:
- Citing “Insufficient Medical Proof” to support the claim, regardless of how much evidence you send them;
- Placing undue reliance on a Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) report ordered by the insurance company;
- Using a “Peer Review” by a Physician hired by the insurance company for big bucks, a physician who has never seen or examined you;
- Using a Transitional Skills Analysis, identifying jobs you can purportedly do, but do not actually exist;
- Performing a medical review by a Registered Nurse who works for the insurance company.
Attorney Nick A. Ortiz is the founder of the Ortiz Law Firm. He has who have helped numerous people protect themselves from the tactics used above to secure their Long Term Disability insurance benefits. Mr. Ortiz will personally review your claim file, prepare your appeal and, if necessary, file a lawsuit and represent you in State or Federal Court. Mr. Ortiz is prepared to litigate disability cases against every major disability insurer in the country, and has extensive knowledge and experience in this area.
Mr. Ortiz is readily available to discuss your situation and answer any questions you have. Call 850-308-7833 for your free initial consultation.
What We Do Not Do
We do not handle all types of disability claims. For example, we do not handle the following types of cases:
- Short Term Disability, unless STD benefit period is for longer than 12 months
- Government Funded Disability Plans
- State Disability Plans / Retirement Systems
- Military Retirement
How We Get Paid
We handle most Long Term Disability claims on a Contingency Fee basis, meaning that we charge a percentage of the amount recovered. It is “contingent” in that you owe us nothing if there is no recovery. If your internal administrative appeal is successful, we charge a percentage only of the back pay that is owed, and nothing on your future monthly benefits. We also advance costs and expenses.