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Qualifying Conditions

Getting Long-Term Disability (LTD) for Autoimmune Disorders

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If your insurer denied your long-term disability claim for an autoimmune disorder, this is not necessarily the end of the road for you. You have the right to appeal the insurer’s decision.  While a denial can be discouraging, and the appeal process daunting, you are not alone. Call Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD for help getting long-term disability (LTD) benefits for an autoimmune disorder.

We have helped many clients win LTD benefits and can put our knowledge, tools, and resources to work for you. The consultation is free. Call today: 401-331-6300.

Autoimmune Disorders and Their Debilitating Symptoms

Autoimmune disorders can make it difficult to work. The insurance company will examine your disorder and how your symptoms prevent you from working. Your insurer may have denied your claim if it believes your symptoms are not debilitating enough. Some specific autoimmune disorders and their disabling symptoms include:

Lupus: Lupus is a serious disorder that can affect many of the body’s systems and organs, such as your skin, joints, and central nervous system. Symptoms of Lupus can include:

  • Muscle weakness
  • Joint pain
  • Extreme fatigue
  • Severe weight loss
  • Hair loss
  • Sensitivity to sun or light
  • Anemia
  • Headaches
  • Swelling in hands, legs, feet, or around the eyes

Multiple Sclerosis (MS): MS is a chronic condition that can erode your fine motor skills and greatly impact your ability to walk. MS can distort or interrupt signals traveling from the brain, through your spinal cord, and to your limbs and extremities, resulting in many possible symptoms. If MS progresses far enough, it can result in nerve degeneration, potentially leading to paralysis.

Common symptoms include:

  • Fatigue
  • Walking difficulties
  • Numbness or tingling
  • Weakness
  • Dizziness
  • Muscle spasms
  • Vision problems
  • Bladder and bowel problems
  • Cognitive changes
  • Depression

Immunodeficiency Disorders: An immune deficiency disorder weakens your immune system, making it more difficult for your body to fight off diseases and infections. Many patients affected by these disorders can find it difficult to maintain steady employment due to contracting frequent illnesses.

Connective Tissue Disease: There are over 200 types of connective tissue diseases, some of which are autoimmune in nature. Symptoms vary based on your specific condition.  These disorders most often affect your skin, joints, and bones, but may also involve other organs such as the kidneys, heart, eyes, and lungs.

Inflammatory Arthritis: Inflammatory arthritis involves joint inflammation resulting from an overactive immune system. This condition can affect all of the joints in your body, from your elbows and knees to your wrists and knuckles.

Common symptoms of inflammatory arthritis include:

  • Joint pain
  • Joint swelling
  • Joint tenderness
  • Morning stiffness that can last more than an hour

HIV/AIDS: HIV/AIDS can cause total disability and the inability to maintain employment. The symptoms you face depend on what stage of the disease you are in. Early-stage HIV symptoms include:

  • Fever
  • Fatigue
  • Mouth ulcers
  • Muscle aches
  • Night sweats
  • Muscle and joint aches or stiffness

If the disease progresses to AIDS, symptoms include:

  • Rapid weight loss
  • Extreme fatigue
  • Diarrhea that lasts for more than a week
  • Pneumonia
  • Memory loss
  • Depression

We Make Sure Your Insurer Knows How Limiting Your Disease Is

No two autoimmune disorders are the same, and each one affects the body and its ability to complete daily activities differently. We take this into account when we build your appeal.

We gather your diagnostic tests and treatment records.  We might speak with, and obtain reports from, doctors or other medical and vocational experts to establish how your disease limits your ability to work. We can also obtain testimony from friends, family, coworkers, and your employer to establish how your autoimmune disorder limits your ability to work.

Call 401-331-6300 to Speak to a Skilled LTD Attorney at Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD

The experienced attorneys at Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD may be able to help you obtain the LTD benefits you deserve. We know how to work with doctors and medical experts to build a comprehensive and compelling case on your behalf.

Let us put our extensive knowledge and resources to work for you. Consultations are always free, so call our office today: 401-331-6300.

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