Any injury or illness, or combination of both that stops you from working or returning to work is able to be claimed in your TPD insurance claim.
Essentially, you can make a claim if you can’t go back to work in a role you’re trained and experienced in due to injury or illness.
Your injury or illness does not have to be caused by or at your work to claim TPD!
Example of commonly claimed illnesses or injuries in successful TPD claims include:
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Chronic Neuropathic pain
- Back/Neck injuries
- Osteoarthritis
- Knee or Shoulder injuries
- Cough syncope/syncope
- Neurological conditions such as Epilepsy
- Mental Health conditions such as PTSD, Schizophrenia, Bipolar or Severe Depression
This list is not exhaustive but illustrates some of the medical conditions that people make successful TDP or Income Protection claims for.
Most TPD or Income Protection benefits through Superannuation are based upon your age and either fixed amount, or the number of units of insurance you have. The benefit does not increase or decrease based upon the severity of your condition. Whatever amount you are insured for at the date your condition stopped you from working is the amount you will be paid by the insurer if your claim is approved.
Most Australian workers have insurance cover attached to their superannuation accounts and you may not even be aware that you are insured.
If you are not sure what insurance cover you have, Beach2Bush Injury Lawyers can help. We will find out for you what your insurance benefit is worth to you and let you know if you have a viable claim and then prepare and lodge your TPD claim for you.
There are usually no time limits on making an initial TPD claim.
However, it is recommended you bring your claim as soon as possible after you become unable to work so that the supporting evidence is not lost or incomplete. Making your claim as soon after you become unable to work can also help you and your family manage better financially when you find yourself without a regular income.
If it has been a long time since you last worked our expert team can you provide you the best advice to put your claim on solid ground.
To be eligible for a claim, you need to meet the total and permanent disablement definition in your insurance policy. Seeking a payout can be difficult, as policies sometimes have different wording. For example, if your policy requires you to be permanently unable to perform ‘your occupation’, it can mean something different than being unable to perform ‘any occupation’.
As experienced insurance lawyers we will analyse your cover and the relevant policy requirements, gather employment and medical documents to support your claim, arrange for your doctors to complete the required paperwork, fill in the forms for you and even prepare submissions to the super fund setting out why your claim should be approved.
You should seek legal advice as soon as possible!
If your claim is not approved at first, there are options available to challenge the denial of your claim. We can obtain further information supporting your claim and lodge a Review application to the insurer asking them to reconsider their position. Another option is to issue court proceedings and have a court decide if your claim should be approved.
Every claim is different so it helps to have a skilled insurance lawyer on your side. We can advise you as to the best course of action if your claim is rejected and your likely prospects if you wish to pursue further steps.
There are time limits on these further steps so it is important to act quickly if your claim is not approved by contacting the experts at Beach2Bush Injury Lawyers.