After a car accident many fears may be running through your mind. How will you pay your bills? How can you pay your rent? What will happen to your family? If you are injured in an auto accident, you can collect short and long term disability insurance. An attorney can help you fill out any claim forms and get you on the path to recovery.
What is short term disability insurance?
Short term disability insurance usually conjures up images of worker’s compensation and on the job injuries. Worker’s compensation is actually different than short term disability. Short term disability is usually a benefit provided by your employer that pays a part of your wage if you are out of work temporarily from an injury or illness that occurs outside of your job. A few states, like California, have their own state short term disability insurance as well.
What is long term disability insurance?
Long term disability insurance is a benefit that employees can purchase through their employer or on their own. It covers disabilities that are longer lasting, such as injuries or illnesses that last longer than a year or are permanent in nature. The employer may have some cost sharing involved to help offset the costs of the disability insurance. The insurance pays a partial wage to those on this disability to offset their loss of wages. Some policies will include both short and long term disability payments in the same policy. Social Security Disability is available to workers who have an injury or illness lasting longer than 12 months.
Disability Payments After an Accident
Both short term and long term disability insurance cover car accidents. If your injuries mean that you’ll be out of work for less than a year, it’s important to file for short term disability payments. If you have insurance from your work or other private policy, you will want to get the application in as soon as possible. If you are in a state that has state provided short term disability payments, you will want to apply for that disability immediately.
If you have been in an accident and you have retained an attorney, your lawyer can determine if you are eligible for short term disability and help you file any necessary paperwork to get it. They know the different laws and rules and can ensure that the filings are done right the first time.
Long term disability is a different story, if you have disability insurance through your job or a private policy, then you can definitely put in a claim for it after your accident. Unfortunately, since it only covers long term disabilities, you’ll probably find that you are waiting a significant time before you collect any money from it. This can be quite frustrating if you are without a salary and have a lot of bills to pay. Your attorney is trained to help you get any compensation that you are entitled to and can help you file claims quickly and include pertinent information.
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is available to many workers who are suffering from a long term disability. There are a few requirements to get it. First, you need to have a disability that has lasted at least 6 months and is projected to last more than 12 months in total. The root cause of the disability is unimportant since it covers all kinds of disabilities, including work injuries, car accidents, and any other condition that keeps you from working productively. Your attorney can help you get the information you need to know to get SSDI.
Short and long term disability insurance is there to help those who have been injured or have an illness. They can help you make pay your bills and ensure your rent is paid. An attorney can help you find out what you are eligible for and ensure that you get the compensation that you are entitled to.
Call us today in Arlington at (817) 522-4451, Denton at (940) 222-4060 or in Dallas at (972) 362-6848 for a free consultation. You can also contact us online using our quick contact form.
