Success Story: Annie Martin

*Names have been fictionalized to protect the privacy of our clients.

Living in Charlottetown with borderline personality disorder (BPD) wasn’t something she openly discussed with others, but family, friends and colleagues always had the sense that Annie Martin wasn’t well.

Annie was diagnosed with the disorder at age 18, after suffering from the symptoms her entire life. As Annie grew older and entered the workforce, she had a difficult time adapting to conventional work environments, even while she received ongoing treatment from her family doctor and psychiatrist.

Flexible career

She became an independent real estate agent because the job offered moments of respite to manage her disorder. She worked only during periods when she felt well. In order to protect her children financially, Annie purchased life insurance from Empire Life at the age of 34, as well as longterm disability coverage.

Disorder affects ability to work

A string of personal tragedies caused Annie’s BPD symptoms to spiral out of control, including intense mood swings, panic attacks and an addiction to alcohol. Consequently, her work suffered, and her client-base began to dwindle. Annie’s doctor referred her to an addiction specialist.

Annie stopped working and filed a claim with her Empire Life for long-term disability benefits while she waited to start treatment. Unfortunately, she had a long wait ahead of her. There weren’t many addiction specialists in her hometown of Sault Ste. Marie, so she was put on a waiting list for a specialist in Toronto.

Claim denied

Empire Life took months to review her medical records and requested numerous updates throughout that time. They finally came back with a denial. According to them, Annie had failed to seek appropriate treatment for her addiction.

Share Lawyers takes the case

Annie was in a fragile state and she knew she needed help.

She hired Share Lawyers after reading positive online reviews from past clients who had also dealt with addiction issues and denied disability claims.

After reviewing her file, Share Lawyers determined that Annie had at all times fulfilled the terms of her policy by seeking appropriate treatment on an ongoing basis and following her doctor’s advice. Empire LIfe’s denial of her claim on the basis that she was still waiting for a specialist disregarded their obligations to their claimant.

Recovering her benefits

Share Lawyers gathered the necessary medical evidence to strengthen Annie’s case against her insurer. Once Empire Life received the compelling evidence gathered by Share Lawyers, they were ready to negotiate, and Annie received a significant lump-sum settlement.

Annie was grateful to Share Lawyers for negotiating the settlement on her behalf. It gave her the time she needed to seek treatment and come out on the other side a healthier, happier person.

Denied your long term disability claim?

Contact Share Lawyers today and put our experience to work for you. Our 35+ years of experience can help you win your case against Canada Life, Desjardins, Manulife, RBC Insurance, Sun Life, and other insurance companies. We offer free consultations and there are no fees unless you win your case.