Cancer
Helping clients prove how cancer and treatment impact daily life and work.
Understanding Cancer
Cancer can affect any part of the body and often requires aggressive treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherapy, or surgery. These treatments can cause severe fatigue, pain, nausea, cognitive problems, and weakness.
Even when cancer is in remission, side effects and long-term complications may continue. Many people are unable to work consistently while managing symptoms and medical care.
At Eric Buchanan and Associates, we understand that the disability process can be overwhelming during cancer treatment. We help people focus on their health while we handle their disability claim.
Common symptoms of cancer and treatment
- Severe fatigue and weakness
- Nausea and appetite loss
- Pain or neuropathy
- Memory or concentration problems
These symptoms are subjective and unpredictable, but they can have a severe impact on daily life and work performance.
Cancer Disability Claim Examples
Our Client v. Metropolitan Life Insurance Company
Our client became disabled due to severe cancer, prompting him to file for and receive long-term disability benefits from Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, which later terminated his benefits after the company deemed him able to work again. We sued, arguing that MetLife’s denial was arbitrary and capricious because it lacked evidence that his condition had improved to no longer consider him disabled and unable to work. The court ruled in our favor, prompting MetLife to award retroactive benefits to our client as well as continuing to award ongoing benefits as long as he remained disabled under the plan.
How Insurance Companies Deny Cancer Disability Claims
- Medical Records: Denied if cancer is in remission
- Treatment Response: Improvement used to deny disability
- Doctor’s Opinions: Side effects downplayed or ignored
- Vocational Analysis: Claims you can do light work
Insurance companies often ignore treatment side effects such as fatigue, chemo brain, and recurring complications. They may deny benefits by claiming remission means recovery even when symptoms continue.