I began my professional life as an insurance defence lawyer. Insurance companies hired me to defend lawsuits brought by injured individuals seeking compensation for their injuries. I did my job very well and I saved insurers millions of dollars.
During this period of my career, I saw many lawyers sell out their injured clients for cents on the dollar just so they could settle their cases quickly. I promised myself that if I ever switched sides, I would never do that. Instead, I would do the right thing and fight for each of my clients with all the experience and resources available to me.
Fifteen years ago, I made the switch and began helping injured and disabled individuals get the compensation they deserve from insurance companies — and I never looked back.
Today, my firm, Samfiru Tumarkin LLP, has offices in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia. We act on behalf of disabled individuals across Canada who have been wrongfully denied or cut off from their long-term disability (LTD) benefits.
READ MORE: 4 reasons long-term disability claims are rejected, and how to fight back
People often don’t realize the tremendous benefits of having an LTD lawyer on their side when they find themselves mired in a dispute with an insurance company.
There is an inherent power imbalance between an insurance provider and an ordinary person. This becomes even more pronounced when the person is disabled and unable to defend themselves against an insurer’s unfair practices.
On my TV and radio shows, I often explain that there are three main benefits to hiring our team to help with an LTD dispute.
1. Once our lawyers get involved, your insurer can’t contact you
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There are no exceptions to this rule. We will not allow the insurance company to call, email or write to you if we are formally hired to represent you. They must communicate with us and only us.
READ MORE: 3 things that can help reduce stress when dealing with a long-term disability insurer
We are the barrier between you and them, allowing you to focus on your treatments and your health, while we get busy applying pressure on them.
2. We use the law to force your insurer to disclose everything relevant about your claim
This means that they must produce a copy of their file for us, a copy of your policy, any reports they obtained and every other document they have relating to your matter.
Our laws require insurers to do this, and they can’t make excuses because we know how to force them to comply.
READ MORE: The insurer cut off his benefits. Then his lawyer reviewed his medical assessment
This is very important because once we have a copy of their file, we can review it with a fine-tooth comb and identify all the mistakes they have made in dealing with you and your claim — and then we use that against them.
3. Our team will ensure your insurance company can’t take advantage of you
Having a team of knowledgeable legal professionals fighting on your behalf shrinks the power imbalance between you and your insurer.
James Fireman, the head of our national LTD practice group, once said that when you hire us to help you with your LTD dispute, we don’t even the playing field with your insurer; we tilt it in your favor.
READ MORE: Bullied by your long-term disability insurance company? When to contact a lawyer for help
That is exactly right. We know the law, we have a solid reputation in the field, and we have the experience and resources necessary to take on any insurance company and force them to pay what they owe.
Contact a disability lawyer if your insurer denies or cuts off your LTD benefits
There are many other benefits to hiring my firm to assist with your LTD dispute. At Samfiru Tumarkin LLP, we provide free consultations and don’t get paid unless we are successful in securing the compensation from your insurer that you are legally entitled to.
READ MORE: What to expect when hiring a lawyer to fight your disability claim denial
Our lawyers welcome the opportunity to help in any way we can and are always looking for ways to inform and empower the general public with regards to their LTD rights.
Denied or cut off from your LTD benefits? Dealing with an unfair insurer?
Contact the firm or call 1-855-821-5900 to secure assistance from an insurance lawyer in Ontario, Alberta or British Columbia. Get the advice you need — and the compensation you deserve.
Sivan Tumarkin is a disability and insurance lawyer, and co-founding partner at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP, Canada’s most positively reviewed law firm specializing in insurance and employment law claims. He provides free advice as a host of Canada’s only Disability Law Show on TV and radio.