SHORT TERM DISABILITY BENEFITS

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Short term disability (LTD) benefits are cash payments made to you if you are temporarily unable to work due to an illness or injury. 

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Generally, STD benefits are available:

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• Through a Plan purchased by your employer

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• If you purchased your own STD insurance policy

 

How long do STD benefits last:

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Under normal circumstances, short-term disability is used to cover an illness or injury that continues for a shorter amount of time, usually less than six months or one year, depending on the requirements of your Plan.

 

Am I eligible to received STD benefits:

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We will be happy to help you figure that out. The rules and regulations about who is eligible for STD benefits are governed by a federal law know as the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, also known as ERISA. This law sets the minimum standards for most health plans in private industry and was designed to protect people enrolled in those plans.

 

As you might expect, ERISA is a highly technical and complex set of rules and regulations, which are spelled out in the STD Plan documents you receive from your employer (and never read) or when you enroll in a private industry insurance plan.

 

We read and do know all about ERISA rules and regulations and how they affect your ability to file for and received STD benefits.

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Similarly, we fully analyze any private STD plan you purchase privately.

 

We are also able to explain how your STD benefits are affected by other disability benefits, such as State Disability Insurance, Workers' Compensation benefits, and Social Security disability insurance benefits.

 

One of the most important and timely facts about ERISA law is:

 

Generally, the rules do not allow the submission of medical records once the administrative determination is complete.

 

It is, therefore, vital to get an attorney to manage your claim right away, after the administrative determination is made. Once that decision is handed down, it is important to fully develop the medical evidence in your claim to achieve a favorable determination. Once the claim is denied administratively, it is case over. That terrible outcome can be avoided if you act quickly, call us, and we will ensure that the administrative record is complete and all filing is down on your behalf before any final administrative decision is made.

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We also stand with you before the US District Court if an appeal is required after an unfavorable administrative decision. STD cases are an important part of our practice and we will fight for you from Day #1 and keep fighting until the cash award is enforced and you receive the benefits you deserve.

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What we do for you:

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• We meet with you and hear you out, asking questions along the way.

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• We become experts on you, your medical situation, and your insurance policy.

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• We analyze the medical and vocational information for use in making the strongest case for you to receive the maximum benefits.

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• We tell you what work documents we need and help you get them, using them to construct the most favorable review of your vocational profile required for such cases.

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• We speak with your doctor(s) to discover his or her opinion of your functional abilities and limitations and gather all the medical records to establish the requisite limitations to establish your claim.

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• We pursue your claim administratively to make sure cash awards are enforced and paid out to you.

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• We see the case through, from beginning to end, keeping you informed all along the way (with copies of all documents for your files).

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• We have been very successful at having claims awarded for the maximum benefits administratively, but we will stand with you through appeal, and sue for cash benefits before the US District Court, if necessary.

 

We have more than 21 years of experience with STD cases. We know what we are doing and use our expertise to avoid costly mistakes and give you the best chance of receiving the maximum benefits.

 

The team at the Law Offices of Sima G. Aghai are ready to be your advocates. Call us soon so we can help ensure you ge the benefits you need to secure your future.