Why Do I Need to Apply for Long Term Disability?

You've been denied your Short Term Disability benefits and didn't get a chance to apply for Long Term Disability benefits, also known as LTD benefits. Since the same insurer handles both, you might wonder why you need to submit an LTD application now?

The reason is simple: your lawsuit covers both STD and LTD benefits. If the insurer hasn’t decided on your LTD benefits, they can use that as a defence. Even though they might deny your LTD benefits like they did with short term, submitting an LTD application strengthens your lawsuit.

We've sent you the long term disability application. Make sure to include all your disabling conditions, both physical and mental. Be as detailed as possible.

When describing how your disability affects you, avoid absolutes. Instead of saying, “I always get up at 10 am,” say, “I usually get up around 10 am.”

If you need more space to answer a question, you can write “See appendix 1” and continue on a separate sheet.

We’re here to help. Once you’ve completed your part, send it to us for review. We’ll submit it to the insurer and arrange for your doctor to complete the Attending Physician Statement.

We’ll give the insurer about six weeks to decide. If we don’t hear back, we won’t wait any longer to start your lawsuit.

If you have any questions about the information provided in this video, please do not hesitate to contact your Client Services Team at Share Lawyers. We would be pleased to help you.