Migraine-Associated Vertigo and Long Term Disability Claims

Migraine-associated vertigo (MAV) is a severely disruptive neurological condition. People with MAV experience intense episodes of dizziness, unsteadiness, and motion sensitivity. Unlike typical migraines, a throbbing headache might never appear. The primary symptoms involve your balance system, making reading, driving, and basic movement nearly impossible. Because these symptoms remain largely subjective, you cannot easily photograph or measure them. This invisible nature frequently creates significant hurdles when you file a long term disability claim. Insurance companies prefer visible injuries, and they routinely dismiss subjective vestibular symptoms when evaluating your ability to work.

The Difficulty of Proving MAV Claims

Insurance providers frequently deny MAV claims due to a lack of objective medical evidence. When you visit a doctor for severe dizziness, they typically order MRIs, CT scans, and blood tests to rule out tumors or strokes. For a patient with MAV, these test results almost always come back completely normal. Claims adjusters point to these normal results as proof that you are healthy enough to maintain employment.

Furthermore, MAV symptoms fluctuate constantly. You might experience three functional days followed by two weeks of debilitating vertigo. Insurance companies often monitor your activities on a good day and use that single observation to justify terminating your benefits. They fail to recognize that maintaining a full-time work schedule requires consistent, predictable attendance and cognitive focus.

Common Reasons for Denial or Termination

Insurance companies employ specific tactics to deny or terminate individual and ERISA disability benefits for MAV sufferers. We frequently see the following methods used against our clients:

• Paper-Only File Reviews: The insurance company hires a physician to review your medical records. This reviewing doctor never examines you in person, yet they write a report stating your condition does not prevent you from working.
• Mischaracterizing Functional Limitations: Claims adjusters often assume that desk work is appropriate for someone with physical limitations. They ignore the fact that staring at a computer screen, reading documents, and processing visual information often trigger severe MAV episodes.
• Ignoring Medication Side Effects: Insurers frequently overlook the severe fatigue, dizziness, and cognitive fog caused by the heavy prescription medications required to manage vestibular migraines.

How Legal Representation Can Help

Overturning a denied ERISA disability claim requires a highly strategic approach. The team at Roberts Disability Law, P.C. builds a compelling case by focusing on the specific evidence that reviewing courts require. We support your appeal by gathering the right documentation:

• Specialized Medical Opinions: We work directly with your treating neurotologists and vestibular specialists to obtain detailed statements outlining exactly how your symptoms limit your daily activities.
• Vocational Evidence: We partner with vocational experts who understand your specific occupation. They provide reports explaining why a person with unpredictable vertigo and visual motion sensitivity cannot perform the necessary duties of your specific job.
• Symptom Tracking: We help you compile headache diaries, witness statements, and personal narratives to paint a complete picture of your daily reality for the administrative record.

Contact Roberts Disability Law, P.C. Today

A claim denial causes immediate financial stress, but you do not have to fight the insurance company alone. We understand the appeals process and know how to turn a denial into an approval. Let us manage your legal fight while you focus on your health and recovery.

Contact Roberts Disability Law, P.C. today for a consultation regarding your long term disability claim appeal.