Long-Term Disability Benefits in Nova Scotia

A disability is an injury or illness that prevents (or disables) you from doing something. For insurance purposes, this is generally defined as an inability to perform your job duties, rather than a more general inability to accomplish daily living tasks.

Disability is widespread throughout Canada. However, Nova Scotia stands out as the province that has the highest proportion of disabled. In total, 37.8% of Nova Scotians over the age of 15 have at least one disability, Statistics Canada found in 2022. This was 7.6 percentage points higher than the same figure in 2017.

Long-term disability (LTD) benefits are intended to replace a portion of your income when you cannot work. Usually, long-term disability insurance does not take effect until other benefits are exhausted, such as federal Employment Insurance (EI) and short-term disability. Potentially, they could continue until you reach retirement age.

Many Nova Scotians are insured through a group employee plan, while others may purchase coverage privately. Whatever the source of your insurance, the process of making a successful claim has many pitfalls. Our long-term disability lawyers can navigate them with you.

Which health conditions will trigger my LTD benefits?

The terms and conditions of insurance policies define the long-term disability benefits you are entitled to and under what circumstances. Detailed policies are almost invariably complicated and hard to understand. Our long-term disability lawyers can review your policy to see if your health condition will trigger benefits.

Some commonly covered injuries and diseases include but are not limited to:

• AIDS/HIV
• Anxiety
• Arthritis
• Back pain
• Cancer
• Chronic fatigue, pain, or stress
• Concussions
• Depression
• Eating disorders
• Fibromyalgia
• Hearing and eyesight loss
• Heart attack or stroke
• Herniated discs
• Inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis)
• Lupus
• Lyme disease
• Mental health and psychological disorders
• Migraines
• Multiple sclerosis
• Neurological disorders
• Paralysis
• Panic attacks
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Respiratory problems
• Spinal injuries (bone and/or tissue)
• And more…

Please note, this list is not comprehensive and you may still qualify for benefits even if you do not see your condition above.

How can our long-term disability lawyers help if you live in British Columbia?

If you retain us as counsel, we can assist you with whatever stage you are at in the claims process, whether that’s:

• Making your initial claim application
• Disputing the valuation of your benefits
• Gathering evidence of your medical history to prove your claim
• Responding to a denial of claim letter from your insurer
• Appealing a claim denial
• Negotiating a settlement
• Suing your insurer
• And more…

If necessary, we will bring in qualified health professionals to assess your disability and design a treatment plan. Our long-term disability lawyers can speak for you in any communications with your insurance company and inform you regularly of any settlement offers or other updates. Dealing with insurers can often be stressful and even overwhelming for claimants. You may face pressure to return to work before you are ready, for example. However, it is part of our profession. We seek to give our clients peace of mind.

Communities we serve in Nova Scotia

Contact our long-term disability lawyers to discuss your case today

Founded in 1959, Preszler Injury Lawyers has dealt with long-term disability claims for decades. To see how we can help you, call us toll-free at 778-373-8202 or connect with us online for a free consultation. After we learn more about your situation, we can advise you of your legal options. And remember, you don’t pay unless we win.