Success Story: Mia Wright
*Names have been fictionalized to protect the privacy of our clients.
Mia Wright was a successful employment recruiter and loving mother of two young boys. At 37-years-old, she was vibrant and in perfect health. Being a single mother had its challenges, but Mia was grateful to be divorced from her abusive ex-husband and to have a fresh start in life.
Top performer
Mia was up for an impressive promotion at work. It was right after a promising meeting with her boss that Mia’s life took an unfortunate turn. She had just left the office and was walking through the company parking lot toward her car when she was attacked.
Physical assault leads to PTSD
The attacker assaulted Mia so violently that she was unconscious when a colleague found her and called 911. Her injuries were so severe that she could not recognize herself in the mirror. The person she had been able to recognize, however, was her attacker. It was her ex-husband.
Symptoms impede her ability to work
Mia pressed charges against her ex-husband. She was released from the hospital and her physical injuries eventually healed. Unfortunately, no matter how hard she tried to put the assault behind her, she couldn’t. At night, she had recurring nightmares and during the day, she experienced debilitating flashbacks. The anxiety was so incapacitating that she had to take sick leave from work. Her employer encouraged Mia to apply for short-term disability benefits. Mia prepared a claim with her psychiatrist’s help and it was approved.
The criminal proceedings against her ex-husband were painful and drawn out. Mia really wanted to get back to work and put the past behind her, but neither the case, nor her flashbacks, would allow her to move on.
Insurer claims insufficient medical evidence
When Mia’s short-term disability ran out, she applied for long-term disability. This time, the insurance company denied her claim. Although her psychiatrist had filled out the attending physician’s statement and written a letter stating that Mia was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder due to the attack, they did not think that the evidence sufficiently proved that she was totally disabled from performing the essential duties of her occupation.
With her psychiatrist’s help, Mia appealed the decision. Each time, she was denied. After three appeals and eight months without income, Mia’s savings—and her hope—were depleted.
How Share Lawyers helped
Mia’s psychiatrist referred her to David Share. While she was wary of hiring a lawyer, Mia felt she had exhausted all her options.
Upon meeting Mr. Share, she wondered what had taken her so long to seek legal counsel. Mr. Share and his associates were compassionate, patient and understanding. Most important, they had extensive experience helping clients with PTSD and had proven success fighting these types of claims.
Throughout the handling of her case, Mia felt informed and empowered by the Share Lawyers team. They were truly experts in their field and handled the insurance company’s aggressive tactics strategically and with the utmost professionalism. As they built her case, no detail was left out.
When mediation day arrived, Mia was nervous but knew she was in good hands. Steven Muller put forth a strong case in her favour and negotiated with determination while maintaining compassion for her fragile emotional state.
She was very satisfied with the way Share Lawyers settled her case and with the substantial settlement amount they secured for her. Having the finances to care for her family was one less thing to worry about as she continued with treatment for her condition.
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.
