If you have disability insurance from MetLife, you may believe that you will be financially protected if you ever suffer from a disability that prevents you from returning to your job either temporarily or permanently. While disability insurance can offer you a financial safety net, MetLife often initially denies disability claims, leaving its insured struggling with what to do. The experienced team of The Law Office of Andrew Reichardt proudly represents people whose disability claims have been denied by MetLife to help them with their appeals.
BACKGROUND ON METLIFE
Founded in 1868, MetLife is the holding company for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange. It is one of the biggest worldwide insurers with more than 90 million customers in 60 countries around the world. The company has more than 66,000 employees and offers a broad range of insurance products, including disability insurance.
DISABILITY INSURANCE FROM METLIFE
MetLife offers group disability insurance policies that are only available through your employer. It offers both short- and long-term disability insurance coverage. Short-term disability insurance pays weekly benefits to replace a percentage of your income while you are unable to work after a waiting period. The benefits can last from three months up to one year, depending on your policy. MetLife’s long-term disability insurance coverage offers benefits for extended periods if your disability prevents you from returning to work for a long time. It pays you monthly benefits, which you can use to pay your living expenses. The duration of your benefits will depend on the policy that you have and may offer payments for two or three years or up to age 65.
APPEALING A DENIAL FROM METLIFE
If your claim for disability benefits is denied by MetLife, you will receive a letter in the mail. Your letter will tell you why the company decided to deny your claim and will outline how you can file an appeal. Because ERISA governs employer-provided group disability insurance plans, you are required to exhaust MetLife’s internal appeals process before you will be allowed to file a lawsuit in court. Your letter will tell you how to appeal the denial as well as the deadline for doing so. Don’t miss this deadline. If you do, you will not be able to try to recover benefits for your disability from MetLife in the future.
When you receive your denial letter, contact MetLife and ask that the company provides you with a copy of your claim file. You will want to bring this file in with you to your appointment with Andrew Reichardt. Your file will contain the documents and other evidence that the company gathered to make its denial decision. By reviewing the information contained in it, Andrew will be able to develop a strategy for winning your appeal.
You may be asked to complete more tests, submit to more exams or to do other assorted things. Everything that you will be asked to do is meant to help you to build a strong case on appeal. By adding evidence that is favorable to your claim, you may be more likely that you win your appeal without ever having to file a lawsuit against MetLife. Andrew Reichardt is experienced in helping clients with their disability denials from MetLife. To learn more about your claim and appeal, contact The Law Office of Andrew Reichardt today.