Short Term Disability Lawyer San Francisco CA

A short-term disability (STD) can keep you off the job for a significant amount of time, which means it can do significant damage to your finances and life. Short-term disability insurance is not affiliated with workers’ compensation or any kind of government benefit but is, instead, a form of private insurance that many employers in California offer (especially to higher-level professionals). If you have suffered a short-term disability, it is time to reach out to an experienced short-term disability lawyer in San Francisco, CA. 

Short-Term Disability Insurance

Short-term disability coverage is private insurance that pays a certain percentage of your income for a designated period of time if you suffer an injury or illness that keeps you from working. As part of the benefits package, some employers provide group short-term disability policies. The terms offered, including the amount of coverage and the duration of the STD insurance, can vary considerably according to the policy in question.

Applicable Laws

The short-term disability plans that private businesses establish voluntarily for their employees are governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and other federal laws. Obtaining the short-term disability coverage to which you are entitled, however, can be especially challenging, and you can count on the insurance company that is handling your claim to put considerable effort into keeping your settlement as low as possible. 

Your ERISA Claim

If your initial claim with the insurance company is denied, you’ll be required to follow an ERISA appeals process before you proceed with a lawsuit against the insurance provider. This appeals process mandates that both the following happen:

• You are provided with the insurance company’s reasoning regarding your claim’s denial. 
• You file an administrative appeal with the insurance company in question. 

Your Administrative Appeal

The administrative appeal that you file with the insurance company that provides your short-term disability coverage will determine your options as you proceed, which makes adhering to the applicable restrictions critical. Consider the following:

• From the time that your STD claim is denied, you have just 180 days to file your administrative appeal, which is a very short turnaround in terms of legal actions. 
• The evidence in support of your claim that you include in your appeal is the only evidence that will be allowed in your lawsuit (if you do move forward with filing a lawsuit against the insurance company), which makes getting your appeal right paramount. 

An Experienced Short-Term Disability Lawyer in San Francisco, CA, Is on Your Side

If your short-term disability claim has been denied, look no further than the practiced short-term disability lawyers at Roberts Disability Law, P.C., in San Francisco for the skilled legal guidance you need. Our dedicated legal team is standing by to help, so please don’t put off reaching out and contacting us for more information about what we can do for you today.