I Suffer from Chronic Pain and Was Denied Long-Term Disability Benefits

You were diagnosed with fibromyalgia and are in a lot of pain. Since the condition is preventing you from going back to work, you applied for long-term disability (LTD) benefits. But your request was denied. What do you do now?

The reality is that many people are facing the same struggle; you’re not alone. According to recent estimates, 6 million people in Canada (19% of the population) struggle with a form of chronic pain. The pain can result from any number of circumstances and can be incredibly debilitating, preventing you from working and living your life to its fullest. But, since the condition is often hard to see or define, sufferers not only feel misunderstood, they are often denied LTD benefits.

Chronic pain

Chronic pain – defined as pain that lasts more than 6 months – not only affects you physically, it can have a significant impact on your mental and emotional wellbeing. In fact, many sufferers experience depression too.

Chronic pain encompasses a range of symptoms and conditions including:

  • ​Fibromyalgia
  • Various types of arthritis
  • Chronic fatigue syndrome
  • Myofascial Pain Syndrome

Invisible condition

Since chronic pain doesn’t often show up on medical scans and is seen as largely subjective in nature, it’s often referred to as an “invisible” illness. The lack of objective evidence is often a challenge when it comes to making an LTD request. And it’s not uncommon for insurance companies to deny those requests as a result.

Proper treatment and documentation

Of course, every sufferer of chronic pain knows the symptoms are real. They just need to find the medical specialists who understand the condition well and who can support them on their road to recovery or treatment. They must then accurately and fully report their symptoms to their doctor so that they can be documented properly in their medical files.

Since an insurer cannot see any objective evidence of injury, that documentation becomes exceptionally important. Asking for treatment and then following a treatment plan is equally crucial to a claim. All these elements help establish the credibility of the person suffering from chronic pain and making an LTD application.

 

Finding legal support

Though fibromyalgia and other chronic pain conditions are more widely understood today than they were in the past, challenges remain when applying for LTD benefits. Many still find themselves struggling to convince insurers that their pain is real. Others face difficulty navigating the complex application (and re-application) process.

But we’re here to help. The team at Auger Hollingsworth has helped many clients successfully apply for long-term disability benefits when they’ve been denied or terminated prematurely. If you want to discuss how we can help you secure the compensation you deserve, call us at (613) 233 4539 or email us at [email protected] today. Or, to learn more visit our Long Term Disability Insurance Denials Page.

About the Author: Brenda Hollingsworth

Brenda Hollingsworth co-founded Ottawa’s Auger Hollingsworth in 2005 with her husband Richard Auger. Together, their mission was to create a personal injury law firm for Eastern Ontario that is unrivalled in the province for customer service and legal expertise. Brenda was named an Ottawa Business Journal Forty Under 40 award recipient and took home the Women’s Business Network’s Businesswoman of the Year award in the Professional category. She was also recognized as one of Ottawa Life Magazine’s “Top 50 People in the Capital.” She is often quoted as an expert and has appeared in media outlets such as CTV, The Globe and Mail, National Post, Ottawa Citizen, Sun Media, CBC, Toronto Star, Montreal Gazette, CFRA and many legal publications.

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