Success Story: Vera Karlova
Vera Karlova’s life-long depression came to a head when she graduated from her Masters Program at the age of 29 and began a stressful career in Public Relations while living in Oshawa. When her depression began to affect her ability to work, she made the responsible choice to take sick leave to receive medical treatment; however, when she applied for disability benefits through her group insurance coverage in order to start her road to recovery, she was denied.
A hectic lifestyle
While Vera was able to function with her depression for many years, the long hours, extensive travel and tight deadlines associated with her job began to take its toll on her health. She developed insomnia, which, in turn, caused chronic pain throughout her body and cognitive dysfunction.
No support system
Vera had left her hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba, for Toronto to give her career a head start. Being away from her family and friends made Vera feel lonely and hopeless. Her family doctor was helpful in keeping Vera’s spirits up while she was put on a waiting list for a psychiatrist. Her doctor also helped her complete her long-term disability application.
Insurance company requests more evidence and withholds benefits
Vera received a letter from her insurance company after weeks of waiting. She was hoping the letter was her first disability cheque, but when she opened the envelope, she read the unpleasant news—her claim had been rejected. She was not going to receive benefits until she provided more medical evidence to support her family doctor’s diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder. Unfortunately, Vera’s appeals were met with similar denials and requests for further evidence. At this point, she was not only battling her depression, she was battling with a very powerful insurance company for the benefits she felt were rightfully hers, with very little savings in her bank account to survive.
How Share Lawyers helped
Vera booked a free consultation with Share Lawyers upon the advice of her family doctor. She was relieved to know that Share Lawyers had represented countless disability claims involving depression and felt that she finally had the support system she was lacking for so long.
Every member of the team at Share Lawyers was compassionate and friendly. No question went unanswered, and she received regular updates about her case.
Finally, mediation day arrived. Vera felt confident that her lawyer, Steven Muller from Share Lawyers, would pull out all the stops to get her a fair and substantial settlement, and she was not disappointed. After many hours of negotiations, Steven secured her a lump-sum amount that would allow Vera respite from her financial obligations while she underwent treatment.
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.
