The Summit – Blog
What’s an “Elimination Period” and an “Accumulation Period”?
Although extremely difficult on a personal level, most long-term disability claims based on a provable sickness or accident are relatively straightforward when it comes to insurance. A claim for long-term disability insurance is filed following a diagnosis or some...
Meaning Behind Conquer Tomorrow at Our Benefits Law Firm
Occasionally, someone will ask, ”why is there a mountaintop in your logo,” or “where did the trademark ‘Conquer Tomorrow’ come from?” The spirit behind our brand comes from a desire to help our clients conquer their legal challenges. In helping our clients reach their...
Why Benefits Law Matters to Us and You
Law should be used in a way that brings about meaningful change in society. When our firm began twenty-two years ago, an area that desperately needed change in Metro Detroit, Michigan, and across the nation was the way executives, employees and their families had to...
Making The Most of Your Free Law Firm Consultation
Nearly all law firms offer a “free consultation.” An initial consultation without cost is like a free estimate to fix a household problem. While legal issues are considerably more complex than common household fixes, treating a “free consultation” like a “free...
ONE LONG-TERM DISABILITY CLAIM; TWO DIFFERENT VIEWS. WHAT IS A CLAIMANT TO DO?
Most are familiar with the famous sketch of the simultaneous silhouette of the older and younger woman appearing within the same image. Both women can be seen within the same drawing. Depending on the viewer’s perspective, the image appears to be of one of two...
ERISA LONG-TERM DISABILITY BASICS: THE CONTINUING PROOF OF LOSS
For those who have successfully fought to have a disability claim approved, they want it to stay that way. When the letter arrives from an insurance company seeking an update in status, most claimants begin to worry – and rightly so. As the Western District of...
ERISA Long-Term Disability Basics: Social Media and Disability Claims – Revisiting “An Online ‘Friend’ You May Not ‘Like’”
Stay off social media if you have a long-term disability claim. We have written about this issue before. See, Long-Term Disability Insurance Update: An Online ‘Friend’ You May Not ‘Like.’ Perhaps one of the most overlooked features about ERISA disability claims is the...
HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM PENSION ERRORS
Admittedly, the title may be a bit misleading – there is no foolproof way to shield yourself from pension errors. Pensions and other retirement benefits are complicated beasts, often tracking 30+ years of an employee’s career history across multiple positions,...
THE UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF LABOR FILES AMICUS BRIEF IN SUPPORT OF PLAINTIFFS’ STANDING IN MITCHELL V. BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF NORTH DAKOTA
On January 22, 2019, the United States Secretary of Labor filed an amicus curiae brief in support of the plaintiff-appellants/ cross-appellees Ivan and Melissa Mitchell in the matter of Mitchell, et al. v. Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota, et al. Blue Cross Blue...