Autoimmune Disease Long Term Disability Benefits Attorneys
When working properly, your immune system protects you from illness, infection, and disease. However, if your immune system malfunctions, it can attack and destroy the body’s organs, tissue, and cells. The body’s destruction of its own healthy and normal tissue is known as an autoimmune disease. While some autoimmune diseases are easily manageable with lifestyle changes and medication, some can lead to serious health issues, disability, and even death.
If you are unable to work because you are suffering from an autoimmune disease, you should contact a long term disability attorney to help you get the benefits you’re entitled to if you have an employer-funded policy or a personal policy. While you may be aware that these benefits are available to you, getting the full and fair amount you’re entitled to can sometimes be a challenge. When the insurance company refuses to pay you what you’re owed according to your policy, make sure to contact an experienced long term disability attorney to represent you.
If you believe you are entitled to disability benefits because an autoimmune disease has sidelined you from work, contact Capitan Law to discuss the specific details of your case. Schedule your free and confidential consultation with our team by calling (267) 419-7888 or by reaching out to us online today.
Do I Need An Autoimmune Disease Disability Benefits Attorney?
If you have been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and are unable to work, you may be eligible for disability benefits. However, successfully applying for and receiving long-term disability benefits is not always a simple process. It involves more than filling out an application for benefits and submitting it to your insurance company. Successfully obtaining long-term disability benefits can be a complicated and frustrating process. Remember, the insurance company will use any and every reason to deny your claim. Remember that you don’t have to accept a denial without fighting for the benefits you’re entitled to.
Let the experienced long-term disability attorneys at Capitan Law handle your autoimmune disease disability claim. They can timely prepare and file your paperwork, obtain all of the necessary medical and employment records, and conduct all of the required interviews. If they deny your claim, these attorneys can assist in the appeals process. Our team understands the fear and stress you may be experiencing having with a recent diagnosis of a life-altering autoimmune disease. You may be worried about providing for your family and paying your bills.
In the United States, approximately 70% of all disability claims are denied. However, people represented by an attorney are likely to receive benefits than those who file alone. If you cannot work because of a debilitating autoimmune disease, you should immediately contact the attorneys at Capitan Law to improve your chances of obtaining long-term disability benefits. They will fight for you and won’t take “no” for an answer, even if it means litigating your case in court.
Why Choose Capitan Law To Handle My Autoimmune Disease Disability Case?
If you have been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, and you want to file a claim for disability benefits, you need an attorney who specializes in disability law. Most likely, a general legal practitioner or a personal injury attorney will not understand the intricacies involved in successfully applying for long-term disability benefits.
The attorneys at Capitan Law have specific experience helping those with disabling conditions get the benefits they’re entitled to. Our skill, experience, and resources give us the ability to stand toe-to-toe when negotiating or litigating against insurance companies such as Cigna (a.k.a. Life Insurance Company of North America), Unum, Prudential, Hartford, MetLife, Sun Life, Reliance Standard, Guardian, Aetna, and Mutual of Omaha.
More importantly, the team at Capitan Law genuinely cares about providing the best legal representation possible to their clients who come to them for help during challenging periods in their lives. Their passion drives them to obtain the best possible results for their clients.
Joe Capitan manages the firm’s offices in Pennsylvania, including Philadelphia, Newtown Square and Chadds Ford. Joe obtained his undergraduate degree from Bucknell University in 2003. After graduating from the University of Miami Law School in 2006, he focused the entirety of his legal career on representing individuals in long-term disability and short-term disability matters.
Joe practices law in Pennsylvania. He also practices with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Joe is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the Philadelphia Bar Association, the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association, the National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives, and the American Bar Association.
Joe has been named as a “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers, a rating service of the country’s premier attorneys, every year since 2012. The results are awarded to attorneys who have attained success and recognition in their chosen professional field. Only 2.5 percent of Pennsylvania attorneys receive this honor every year.
Types of Autoimmune Disease Disability Cases Capitan Law Handles
According to the Department of Health and Human Resources, there are presently over 100 diagnosed autoimmune diseases that affect over 24 million Americans. Some of the most common autoimmune diseases include:
Multiple Sclerosis – Commonly referred to as “MS,” this autoimmune disease attacks the body’s central nervous system and destroys the outer covering of brain cells, also known as myelin. The myelin breakdown disrupts signals the brain sends to other parts of the body through the central nervous system.
There are different types of MS, which vary in severity. Some MS patients will experience flare-ups of their symptoms, followed by a period of remission. Other MS patients will experience a progression of the disease over time. The most common symptoms of MS include fatigue, double vision, weakness, and depression. More severe, though less common symptoms can consist of tremors, total paralysis, and blindness.
Lupus – This autoimmune disease is known to affect the heart, lungs, kidneys, and brain. It is a debilitating disease characterized by extreme fatigue, chronic pain, sensitivity to light, headaches, anemia, hair loss, swelling of the hands or feet, and chest pains with deep breathing.
Lupus is known as “the great imitator” because its symptoms mirror other common illnesses. As a result, people with lupus often live with their symptoms for many years before receiving a diagnosis. Approximately nine in ten people diagnosed with lupus are women.
A 2008 survey conducted by the Lupus Foundation of America found that two-thirds of lupus patients reported a complete or partial loss of their income because they were not able to work full-time. One-third of lupus patients had been temporarily disabled, and that one in four had received disability payments.
Rheumatoid Arthritis – Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) attacks the body’s joints, causing inflammation to the tissue that lines the cavity of the joints. RA causes joint swelling and pain. In worse-case scenarios, there can be damage to the cartilage and bone, causing the joints to become extremely stiff and painful.
There are approximately 1.5 million people in the United States who have been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Nearly three times as many women are diagnosed with RA as men.
RA most commonly affects the joints of the hands, feet, knees, and ankles. The damage caused by RA is irreversible. There is no known cure for RA.
Sjogren’s Syndrome – This autoimmune disease is known to affect all of the body’s systems. The symptoms of Sjogren’s Syndrome commonly include:
- Dry mouth
- Dry or burning sensation on the eyes
- Difficulty talking or chewing
- A change in taste or smell
- Joint pain
- Sore and cracked tongue
- Dental decay
- Dryness of the skin
- Debilitating fatigue
If diagnosed early, Sjogren’s Syndrome is treatable with medication. However, complications of the disease can include internal organ failure. People diagnosed with Sjogren’s are at higher risk for lymphoma, or cancer of the lymph nodes.
Diabetes – Autoimmune diabetes in adults occurs when the body’s immune system attacks the pancreas, which in turn, stops producing insulin. It is also known as type I diabetes.
The most common symptoms of Type I diabetes are the following: increased thirst and hunger, weight loss, dry mouth, increased urination, and fatigue. People with autoimmune diabetes require insulin injections for survival. Complications of this autoimmune disease can include heart disease, neuropathy, and damage to the retina. People diagnosed with type I diabetes often develop other autoimmune disorders such as thyroid disease and celiac disease.
Call Capitan Law Now To Discuss Your Long Term Disability Claim
If you have been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and cannot work, you may be eligible for long-term disability benefits. As you cope with your new diagnosis and concentrate on getting the care that you need, our team can help make sure that you collect the benefits that are available to you.
Call Capitan Law now at (267) 419-7888 to discuss your long-term disability claim. Your diagnosis may change your life, but with the disability benefits you’re owed, you can move on to a new chapter and a brighter future.
