Disability Law Show: Ontario – S4 E25

Episode Summary

Is a diagnosis necessary to qualify for LTD? What is the mediation process like? Disability lawyer and partner Tamar Agopian at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP answers these questions and more on the Disability Law Show on 640 Toronto and Newstalk 580 CFRA.

Listen below to discover important information about your rights and a guide through the proper steps to take when your insurance provider cuts off your long-term disability or denies your insurance claim.

When you need a disability lawyer in Ontario, Tamar and her team can get you the advice you need, and the compensation you deserve.

Listen to the Episode

Show Notes

• Post-traumatic stress disorder as a disability and impact on LTD:  Many mental health illnesses can impact whether or not an individual is able to work. PTSD is tied quite closely to claimants witnessing trauma however in recent years, there are additional stressors that can lead to this diagnosis. Courts have recognized that the label of PTSD itself is not as important as the symptoms in order to receive LTD.
  
• Waiting for surgery in order to be able to return to work: The difficulty for some claimants is that they have suffered from conditions that needed treatment and surgery that have suffered a backlog as a result of the pandemic. Unfortunately, insurers are rarely patient and their initial inclination is to decline LTD benefits.
  
• Process of mediation for long-term disability claims: A mediation is a non-binding settlement meeting. Mediation allows parties to speak directly to each other and ensure that all information is still kept confidential. Mediations encourage communication and should be conducted early in order to expedite the process. This process allows disputes to be resolved and ensures a claimant can focus on their own health and less on the communication with an adjuster.