Success Story: Wei Zhao

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

For several months, Wei experienced some unusual symptoms that he could not explain. The 42-year-old shipper/receiver from Saint John had been working for the same company for over seven years and had been energetic and active during that time. This made it all the more strange when he found that he had extreme fatigue and numbness in his toes. It was after several weeks of experiencing these symptoms that he realized he had the same bruises on his arms and legs for many weeks.

He decided to make an appointment to see his family doctor. His doctor did a full check up and ran blood work for Wei. After obtaining the results from Wei’s blood test, the doctor informed Wei that his blood sugar level was extremely high, and he was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. He immediately began taking insulin to control his symptoms.

Wei was devastated by his diagnosis. He tried to follow his doctor’s advice and recommendations, but he was finding it challenging to keep his blood sugar levels under control and suffered frequent diabetic episodes. He struggled at work, as his employer kept changing Wei’s schedule, and Wei found himself working many late night and weekend shifts. Often Wei would have to call in sick or leave after half a shift because of the constant pain in his feet. He also found that when he was at work he could not control what he was eating and how often he could take a break - he had not been able to monitor his blood sugar as regularly as he was supposed to. He was exhausted, in pain and on the verge of being fired for not performing his job properly.

In addition to the stress Wei was experiencing due to his difficult schedule and symptoms, he was also stressed by the lack of sympathy he was receiving from his employers. After Wei visited an Endocrinologist to help get his symptoms under control, the doctor recommended that Wei take some time off work. Even though both his family doctor and the specialist were supportive, Wei’s application for Short Term Disability benefits was denied. He was told that diabetes was not recognized as a disability and that he did not meet the definition of disability as stated by the insurance company.

Wei did not know where to turn. His family grew more and more concerned, especially when they saw that Wei’s anxiety levels were increasing and he was having trouble sleeping.

Soon after, Wei found out about Share Lawyers from his brother, who had come across the firm through his social network on Facebook. Wei called Share Lawyers and when they learned that the Short Term and Long Term benefits were with the same company, they said they could start helping Wei to fight for his benefits immediately. Wei made an appointment to meet for a free consultation. Share Lawyers made sure that Wei saw additional specialists to substantiate the reasons that Wei could not work as a shipper receiver. The specialists informed Wei that different patients react differently to treatments and that managing diabetes is not always as simple as going on insulin.

Share Lawyers supported Wei throughout his case and his claim succeeded. Now, Wei is experimenting with other treatment plans and is hopeful about his ability to thrive in the future.

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.