Long Term Disability Lawyers

Long Term Disability Benefits Attorneys

Long term disability insurance is supposed to protect your income, and provide money you and your family need during a time when you can no longer work.

Learn how our team ensures your story will be heard in our 3 minute video.

If you become unable to work for an extended period of time and have long term disability (LTD) insurance or a disability insurance policy, you may have already found that filing a long term disability claim can be an extremely frustrating and complicated process. The process is even more frustrating and complicated if an insurance company has denied your claim. Long Term Disability benefits attorney Eric Buchanan and his disability insurance team are here to help.

Unfortunately, disability insurance companies know that it is difficult for most people to understand how to properly apply for and appeal a disability insurance claim, and will try to take advantage of you by denying the claim.

You already have enough to worry about with your medical treatment, medical bills, and other complications caused by your loss of health. You should not have to fight with a disability insurance company while you have so much going on in your life.

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Because insurance companies take advantage of disabled people who file claims, you need someone on your side who understands the rules of the game, knows how to hold the insurance companies accountable, and knows how to help and work with people who are going through an extremely difficult time in their lives. At Eric Buchanan and Associates, we have a team of attorneys and professional legal staff who understand the rules, and know how to use those rules to protect the rights of people filing disability claims. We have a team dedicated to helping people fight insurance companies to help obtain the benefits they deserve.

The processes of claiming long term disability (LTD) benefits can be extremely confusing and even more frustrating. Often, employees whose disabilities make it impossible for them to continue working find that their coverage is far less than they expected. Many have their claims denied outright and do not know how to navigate the additional complexities of the appeals process. Experienced long term disability insurance lawyers can provide invaluable assistance at all stages of the claims process.

A skilled long term disability attorney can help improve the chances of your claim being resolved favorably by analyzing your situation and developing a strategy even before your claim is filed. We will assist you with filling out claim forms along with reviewing your medical records and recommending any additional doctor’s visits or medical tests that might make your claim stronger. Counseling is encouranged to avoid the pitfalls that insurance companies sometimes use to deny your benefits. By documenting the continuing eligibility of your condition and filing for an administrative disability appeal quickly will help if your claim is denied. Your long term disability attorney encourages preparing evidence and obtaining an expert witness testimony. You then take the case to court, if necessary.

How a LTD Lawyer Can Help Your Case

Our Long Term Disability Attorneys have helped many individuals with a variety of different claims. As there are many different causes of long term disability claims, the main causes are shown below.

Learn how our team ensures your story will be heard in our 3 minute video.

You need an experienced disability law firm on your side because the rules can get complicated. There are two different sets of rules depending on whether you obtained your insurance through work or directly from an insurance company. If you get your disability insurance coverage through work, those types of policies cover a group, and are typically called a long term disability or (“LTD”) policy. A policy purchased directly from an insurance company that just covers you is typically referred to as an individual disability insurance (“IDI” or “DI”) policy.

Long Term Disability Benefits Attorney Eric Buchanan and his professional team has handled hundreds of ERISA cases, and is very familiar with the complicated ERISA rules. In fact, Eric Buchanan and the other attorneys regularly teach other attorneys around the country about ERISA, and how to properly handle a denied disability claim under ERISA.

Employer-provided group LTD policies are almost always governed by ERISA, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. This federal law is supposed to protect the assets of millions of Americans so that funds placed in retirement plans during their working lives will be there when they retire. However, ERISA also applies to the rules governing long term disability and other insurance coverage most Americans obtain through work. Unfortunately, courts have interpreted ERISA to establish rules that benefit insurance companies over employees. ERISA also has very complicated procedural rules that must be followed in order to preserve your appeal rights.

Disability insurance companies understand the rules and know how the game is played, and will use those rules against you. The insurance companies also know you are going through a difficult time in your life, and that you may not be at your best, and you may not be prepared to fight the insurance company on your own.

Top Five
Reasons to hire Eric Buchanan and Associates to represent your disability case

Attention

We are selective about the cases we take, so we can provide each client with the attention he or she needs.

Nationally Recognized

We are nationally recognized and help clients all over the United States.

Rule Changers

Our team has fought for our clients so long, and so well, that we have helped change the rules so the law is more on our clients’ side.

Eric Teaches

Eric Buchanan regularly teaches other attorneys, nationwide!

We Fight

We know how to fight for you, to get the best result for you in your case.

Eric Buchanan & Associates is proud to be a Veteran-Led business. Before law school, Eric graduated from the Virginia Military Institute and served as an officer in the U.S. Navy from 1989 to 1994 where he served as a naval aviator, pilot-in-command, and mission commander of P-3C Orion sub-hunting aircraft. Among other positions, Eric served as his squadron’s legal officer, for which he was awarded a Navy Achievement Medal.

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The Avvo Rating is calculated based on experience, industry recognition and professional conduct. Eric Buchanan & Associates, PLLC is rated as Superb on Avvo with a score of 10/10.

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Eric Buchanan & Associates has been awarded the Select Seal of Satisfaction every year since 2012. Seal recipients are an elite group of companies who have committed to uphold the highest standards of business excellence represented by the Seal of Satisfaction. In each of over 70 professional service company categories, an evaluation and interview process is conducted prior to a company receiving the Seal of Satisfaction certification mark and award in their professional services category. Seal recipient companies commit to uphold the Seal of Satisfaction’s highest standards of business excellence and customer/client/patient satisfaction.

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Martindale-Hubbell provides peer review ratings for an attorney from feedback by an attorney’s peers. These reviews are based on the attorney’s strong legal ability and high ethical standards. At Eric Buchanan & Associates, we are trusted by other attorneys.

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ERISA BENEFITS
CLAIMS

There are special, complicated rules that apply if your insurance or other benefits were provided through your work, even if you paid the premiums. We understand ERISA.

LONG TERM
DISABILITY CLAIMS

If you are covered by long term disability insurance through your job or because you have purchased the coverage privately, you should be able to count on the benefits being there when you need them.

DISABILTY CLAIMS
FOR DOCTORS

Doctors often have disability insurance policies that have special rules applicable to medical professionals, and doctors often work in special circumstances different from most others. We have helped many doctors and understand the best way to help a doctor obtain the benefits due.

DISABILITY CLAIMS FOR
PROFESSIONALS AND EXECUTIVES

Lawyers, accountants, business owners and other professionals often have disability insurance policies with provisions specific to their occupation. Our team fights for professional’s benefits, we understand how to combat insurance companies' denial tactics.

MEET OUR ATTORNEYS

Eric's team of benefits and disability lawyers in Chattanooga, Tennessee can help you as it has already done for thousands of other disabled people nationwide.

Eric L. Buchanan

President + Partner

Meet Eric

Hudson T. Ellis

Partner

Meet Hudson

Audrey Dolmovich

Senior Associate

Meet Audrey

Noah Breazeale

Associate Attorney

Meet Noah

Kaci Garrabrant

Associate Attorney

Meet Kaci

LEGAL MEMBERSHIPS AND AWARDS

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Click on a question below to view a video with the answer

What is Erisa? The insurance company has denied my claim, why can’t we sue now? Wouldn’t I want a local attorney for my disability insurance case? How does the Buchanan Disability Team handle cases nationally?
What is Erisa? (Updated) Why choose a Team to help with your disability case? Social Security Disability vs. Long Term Disability What is the Arbitrary and Capricious Standard of Review?
GET "ERIC'S ANSWERS" TO MORE FAQ'S

HAVE YOU RECENTLY BEEN DENIED YOUR
LONG TERM DISABILITY BENEFITS?

We have seen many cases where an insurance company takes advantage of someone who is unrepresented.

Long Term Disability Benefits Basics

Because we are a boutique law firm, focusing on disability insurance, long term disability, and a few other similar types of cases, we can focus on our clients and their cases. We see the same types of denials by the same insurance companies over and over, and know just what types of games the disability insurance companies play. If you decide to hire us, and we decide to take on your case, you will know that you have a true disability insurance team on your side that has fought the fight before and knows how to get you the best result for your case. Because disability insurance companies know the rules, and use them against people, it is crucial to have someone on your side who knows the rules and can protect you. Disability law contains very specific procedures and time limits for appealing LTD claims.

Missed deadlines, improperly completed forms or other errors in the appeals process can cause you to lose all your benefits with no way to get them back.

We have seen many cases where an insurance company takes advantage of someone who is unrepresented.

If your claim is denied we will litigate your long term disability case, ERISA case, or similar case, against any insurer nationwide.

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What do the insurance companies NOT want me to know? A court will only look at the information submitted to the insurance company before the company issues its final denial; you cannot add more information once you go to court. Your medical records are important, but your medical records alone will rarely win a disability case. In addition, you need specific documentation of your restrictions and limitations caused by your medical condition. The forms used by insurance companies (often called attending physician forms or “APS” forms) usually do not make it easy for a doctor to assess your limitations and restrictions in a way that will make you disabled. Often, because these forms are written by insurance companies, the choices of answers your doctor can give don’t include options for someone who is disabled. Or, if there is such an option, it does not match up with the definition of disability in your policy.

ERISA law has very strict deadlines for filing appeals, and those deadlines are usually used against claimants, so that if you miss the deadline, your case may be over. However, even though ERISA has deadlines for insurance companies, there are virtually no consequences if an insurance company misses its deadline.

Once an ERISA case goes to court, insurance companies often argue that they should get the benefit of the doubt in court, and that the court should allow them to win even if they are wrong, so long as they are reasonable. These are just some examples of the many obstacles an experienced LTD law firm can help you avoid or fight against so that you will have the best chance to receive the benefits you are entitled to.

Questions for Your Long Term Disability Lawyer

Lawyers who exclusively handle LTD cases have heard it all when it comes to claims awards and denials. Some of the important issues you want to discuss with your long term disability insurance lawyers include:

  • How did your disability occur? We can help you document what was responsible for the disability. Insurance companies sometimes try to avoid paying these claims by contending that your condition resulted from a previously known chronic illness.
  • How long must you wait before claim payments start? Long term disability insurance policies differ in this regard, but we are familiar with many policies.
  • How much money will you receive? A long term disability lawyer can make sure that your benefits are calculated and paid correctly.
  • What other insurance policies may cover this event? If more than one insurance company may be responsible, you need a knowledgeable long term disability lawyer to evaluate how to resolve your case.
  • What if you are only partially disabled? The details of coverage for partial disability are often specified in confusing language in the fine print of your insurance policy. A long term disability insurance lawyer can help make sure that you get as much as possible under the terms of the policy.

Contact Eric Buchanan’s Disability Team Today

Eric’s team of disability attorneys understands the laws associated with ERISA, bad faith insurance law, contract law, and other areas of the law that will help you win your case. Our team has extensive experience in handling long term disability claims, appeals, and lawsuits. The dedicated long term disability insurance lawyers and professionals at Eric Buchanan & Associates have helped thousands of people fight wrongful denials by insurance companies and by the Social Security Administration. If you have been denied LTD benefits or have questions about your eligibility, contact the long term disability lawyers at Eric Buchanan & Associates, PLLC for assistance with all issues related to your claim. Contact us today to discuss your case.

We have seen many cases where an insurance company takes advantage of someone who is unrepresented.