Success Story: Vik Khatri

One Sunday morning, Vik woke up and set about his usual Sunday routine. He kissed his wife Priscilla who slept in on Sundays, freshened himself up then proceeded to start making breakfast for his family of four. Vik’s job as head of IT at the local college kept him busy during the week so Vik, a stickler for good work-life balance, tried to make the most of the weekend. He spent his Saturdays with his wife doing different activities around the house and the neighbourhood, then took the family out to dinner at a restaurant often chosen by his 16-year old daughter Zahra. On Sundays, he cooked the family breakfast before heading out with his son Rohan for a game of football with friends at the local college’s field.

This particular Sunday, Vik was in the middle of his football game when he felt a sudden tightness in his chest, followed by intense chest pains and shortness of breath. Vik was just able to signal for help before he became light headed and collapsed from the pain. An ambulance arrived within minutes and took him to the hospital, but Vik was unconscious. Vik suffered a heart attack which resulted in his inability to return to work. His wife Priscilla immediately contacted work to arrange for Vik’s Disability Benefits, and she applied within a few weeks. Vik received his short term disability benefits, but when he applied for the Long Term benefits he did not get any response for several weeks.

Vik phoned to find out what was going on, and the insurance company said that they were investigating and needed to see all of Vik’s medical records from his family doctor.

Vik immediately arranged to get all the records and forwarded them to the insurance. Vik had been told by the cardiologist that he would not be returning to work any time soon, so he needed the benefits urgently.

Finally the insurance company responded saying that Vik was not eligible for his Long Term Disability benefits because his records showed that he smoked marijuana regularly and that he did not disclose that information when he applied for the insurance.

Vik and Priscilla felt like they were running out of options. A colleague of Priscilla’s came across Share lawyers on Facebook and advised her to give them a call. She made an appointment for a free consultation during which Share Lawyers informed her that as a result of marijuana’s growing normalization in Canada and globally, they felt they could fight and win the non disclosure of this information.

Share Lawyers fought the case and eventually Vik did receive his Disability benefits. Vik will never return to work full time again, but they were thankful to Share Lawyers for helping them get the insurance benefits they deserved.

*All names and identifying details have been changed to protect the confidentiality of all involved.

Denied your long term disability claim?

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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.