Success Story: Omar Aydin
To his friends and family, Omar was always known as content, somewhat introverted, and unassuming. At 41 years old, he was a business analyst who always showed up to work on time, and put in a solid effort. He lived in a nice apartment with his dog, enjoyed following local sports teams, and spent time with his loved ones on the weekends. What those around him didn’t see was that inside Omar was suffering.
In his mid-30s, Omar started to realize that he might be affected by low-grade depression. His gloomy days were getting more frequent, and there were one or two weekends per month when he would spend all day watching television, avoiding plans with friends. Depression was something that was never spoken about in his household growing up. He was raised to believe that negative emotions were not to be shared or lingered on, and carried this mindset with him to adulthood. With these ideas ingrained in his psyche, he generally chose to ignore the possibility that he might be suffering from a diagnosable medical condition. He pushed on and pushed through.
When Omar suffered a tragedy, everything changed. His uncle suddenly passed, and Omar did not have the tools to cope with this loss. In the weeks and months following, he found it difficult to get out of bed most days. While he adored his niece, he made an excuse to skip her 7th birthday party. He used up his sick days for the year within 2 months and received a notice of concern from his employer. When his sister finally confided how worried she was, he realized that his mental health concerns went deeper than he had let himself accept. Through her recommendation, he began seeing a psychotherapist. He also went on an extended unpaid leave from work.
Omar thought that losing his uncle would be one of the hardest things he would ever have to do, and he was proud of himself for taking the right steps toward self-care and personal health. What he didn’t expect was the financial toll that these decisions would take. When he went on leave, he immediately received documentation from his family doctor and his therapist to start the process of claiming for EI Sickness Benefits (Employment Insurance) and then his Long term disability insurance. Just in case, Omar kept records of everything related to his disability case, and even took notes of his conversations with both his doctor and the insurance company.
He received his 15 weeks of EI Sickness Benefits(Employment Insurance) but his claim was denied for his Long term disability for lack of substantial medical evidence or a long enough period of disability to make a claim. He was given the opportunity to “appeal” the decision by providing additional information for the insurance company to review, but once he sent in more information, Omar was denied again. At this point, he knew he had to speak with a lawyer. He did an online search and contacted Share Lawyers right away.
What he learned was that claims on the basis of mental illness face unique challenges because they are invisible disabilities. Omar was also confused about what the insurance company wrote in their letter about “own occupation” and “any occupation”.
Amidst all of this confusion, he realized then and there that he had made the right decision in choosing Share Lawyers. They were with him through to the very end, successfully helping him in making his claim and receiving his long term disability benefits.
*All names and identifying details have been changed to protect the confidentiality of all involved.
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A note from our long term disability lawyers
Taking a medical leave from work is not an easy decision to make. Concerns about providing for yourself and your family and keeping your job may cause you to want to push through your pain, but this won’t make your problems go away. Stopping work is often the smartest decision for your long term health and well-being, and your disability benefits are there to provide you with financial support until you can return to work.
If you have made the tough decision to stop working and apply for your short term disability or long term disability benefits, you may feel overwhelmed by the process and have questions that your employer and your insurance company are not able or willing to answer. Share is There to see you through and answer your questions.
Our Disability law firm knows what you have been going through
We understand that things have not been easy for you over the last little while. Your health has been suffering, you are unable to work, and now your insurance company, who was supposed to be there in your time of need, has decided they will not pay your disability benefits or respect your disability claim. These benefits exist to provide you with the financial support you need so that you can focus on your health and rebuilding your life. It is unfortunate that your insurance company has not lived up to its promise. If your disability claim has been denied, we will fight to get you the benefits you are entitled to. Our disability lawyers have helped thousands of Canadians get their long term disability benefits over the past 35 years, and we can help you too.
Our experienced disability lawyers can fight back on your behalf
Share Lawyers believes that every client who is dealing with a disability claim deserves superior personal service. To achieve that goal, we have developed our team of experienced, compassionate, and caring long term disability lawyers, law clerks, and administrative staff to meet all of your needs. Our team of experienced long term disability, life insurance, employment, and critical illness insurance lawyers have made successful claims against many insurance companies, third-party administrators and employers.
If you are unable to work, your disability benefits should be there to provide you with the financial support you need. While your insurance company may be focused on finding ways to avoid paying your claim, our focus is on what is in your best interest. When Share Lawyers gets involved, you have an entire team of lawyers that are there to support you and to fight for what is yours.
Our disability claim lawyers fight for your disability insurance claim by relying on our many years of experience to apply the best strategic planning and approach in each case, using the latest technology available. Experience matters, and with Share Lawyers, you are in the best hands with 35 years of success on your side.
In this video, we explain the role of a long term disability lawyer and how we can support you when you have been denied your long term disability benefits.
