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In 2012, a Yankee veteran, who was denied disability claims more than six decades back, won the litigation and was awarded disputed disability compensation worth $400,000. This case is a grim reminder of how disputes over veteran’s benefits drag on for decades. Even now, out of the nearly 850, 000 disability claims pending before the Department of Veteran Affairs, 4 percent are from World WAR II veterans. This is certainly sad, but a stark reality of how insurance companies and other agencies work. Some of the nation’s biggest insurance companies have denied valid claims to boost their bottom line. These companies even reward their employees who are successful in denying valid claims. The tricks of the trade employed by unscrupulous insurance companies are many. Here are a few common ones. Delaying until death Someone rightly said, “The insurance companies make it so hard to make a claim that the claimant either dies or gives up.” Unquestionably, this constitutes the most shameful use of delay tactics. The variety of tricks used include deliberately mailing wrong forms, rejecting applications on false reasons, such as incorrect paperwork, and even declaring that policyholders have abandoned the claim. Hoodwinking consumers Most of us are victims of this shadowy world of the insurance policies. More often than not, the language used by insurance policies is extremely complex and hard to comprehend even by astute consumers. As one lawyer fighting a claim denied commented, “The language is impossible to decipher. One unfathomable clause follows another.” While trying to make sense of insurance contracts, even a State Supreme Court observed, “Insurers convince customers that everything is covered while selling a policy, and convince courts that nothing is covered when consumers make claims.” Dumping the sick If a person becomes sick due to cancer or any debilitating disease, it is not unusual for an insurance company to cancel the person’s policy with retrospective effect. They will allege that the individual lied about silly things like weight or some such minor thing on the application. They will even claim that the policyholder lied of some pre-existing condition. Denied disability claims in such cases quite often make their presence felt when individuals are in the midst of a medical treatment, a time when the individual is most vulnerable. Regulators in many states have uncovered hundreds of violations by insurers with regard to unfair denial of claims and dubious claims’ processing tactics. A story of claim denied must not be a reason for you to shirk away from taking out an insurance cover. Here are some things you can do: • Read the policy carefully, especially the fine print. • Be very careful while filling out the forms. A minor mistake made by you even inadvertently will galvanize the insurers to deny your disability claim later on. • Reject any refund check offered by the insurer: Acceptance or cashing it will be interpreted as acceptance of their decision. • Put everything in writing: Keeping a record of all correspondence will help you in case of any litigation. Most importantly, do not give up. Denied disability claims may be many, so contact the state insurance companies or even your lawyer. Insurance companies expect you to give in. Author Resource : Share Lawyers, established in 1987, is a well-known lawyer firm, which fights for any claim denied in Toronto. This firm is committed to protecting the rights of individuals in Ontario. By having an approach enhanced by state-of-the-art technology, this Hamilton personal injury lawyer is among the best lawyers for representing denied disability claims.
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