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Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Disability Claim

PTSD is more common than some would try to deny, with the National Center for PTSD reporting that approximately 6% of Americans will experience PTSD at some point. Living with PTSD can be incredibly difficult, especially considering how disruptive it is to everyday life. It can even prevent sufferers from working, which makes it tough to pay living expenses. Qualifying for long-term disability insurance may be tough for PTSD victims, considering how difficult it can be to objectively demonstrate a mental health disability as invisible as PTSD compared to something like brain injuries from a car accident or other physical injuries.

If you or a loved one are suffering from PTSD, you are not alone. Many people suffer, and many have received long-term disability benefits for their condition, allowing them to focus on recovery rather than struggling to pay the bills. Take a closer look at the nature of PTSD, how it can impact your life, and how our New York PTSD attorneys can help with your case before you file and if you are denied starting with a free consultation.

What Is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that occurs in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event. While the term was originally coined to refer to combat veterans, today, it is used to describe the impact of a violent personal assault, rape, terrorist act, shooting, or any extreme event, including trauma from an extreme medical procedure. People with PTSD have intense, disturbing thoughts for many years after the actual event. They may feel sadness, anger, detachment from others, nightmares, and flashbacks.

Today, PTSD is understood to be a real diagnosis, but that doesn’t mean that disability insurance companies are any more understanding about the challenges PTSD poses to people in the workplace. A disability claim for PTSD is just as likely as any other mental/nervous claim to be denied or challenged.

I’m Not a Veteran. Can I Still Have PTSD?

Yes, PTSD is not exclusive to veterans. PTSD can develop as a result of any traumatic event, such as being physically or emotionally abused at home or at work or experiencing a random physical assault like a mugging. Trauma can be incredibly hard on people, and PTSD can manifest from any kind of traumatic experience that is difficult for an individual, even if others may not react the same way in similar situations.

PTSD can occur virtually anywhere that traumatic events can happen. Even a construction accident or truck accident can lead to PTSD when the event is traumatic. A personal injury from a motor vehicle accident may be only the beginning of the victim’s suffering from the ordeal. Given how much construction is done throughout New York State, we see these types of cases often. While help for veterans is a focal point of many PTSD programs, there is no denying that anyone is susceptible to this long-term disability.

You do not have to experience something first-hand to have PTSD. Learning of a close family member’s violent death could lead to PTSD. It could also occur after repeated exposure to horrible details of trauma, for example, first responders who routinely witness the aftereffects of terrible events.

Common Symptoms of PTSD

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PTSD manifests through a variety of symptoms. As a disclaimer, the symptoms are not always consistent between people, nor is their status as a long-term disability. The nature of the trauma that caused the PTSD, as well as the uniqueness of the person suffering through it, can lead to varying symptoms. Still, there are several general symptoms that are common throughout most cases, including:

  • Intrusive memories, denial of reality, or flashbacks
  • Anxiety
  • Panic attacks
  • Survivor’s guilt
  • Self-medicating using drugs or alcohol
  • Fear of loud noises
  • Emotional distress and outbursts

How PTSD Disrupts Your Life

PTSD can be incredibly disruptive to one’s quality of life. The intrusive memories of the incident can turn any normal day sour, leaving one unwilling to leave their home or take care of necessary daily tasks. These memories also make it difficult to sleep, as nightmares can be common. Avoidance behaviors tend to escalate with PTSD as well. While routines can help people cope, excessive avoidance can lead to stagnation and eventually a decline that can sometimes culminate in a wrongful death.

One of the more prominent disruptions from PTSD is increased anxiety or emotional arousal. It’s common for PTSD victims to be irritable or short-tempered with people. This can damage relationships in both one’s personal and professional life. Having trouble maintaining relationships is common among PTSD victims, in addition to failing to find hope for the future with a serious long-term disability. That much we can see just in our free consultations with benefits lawyers.

Treatments for PTSD

PTSD treatments differ based on each individual patient, but they generally involve medication, therapy, or a combination of both. Cognitive therapy is commonly used in addition to medications like fluoxetine and sertraline, which are designed to treat depression and anxiety. Most help for veterans comes in this form, but it can work for various kinds of PTSD and related long-term disability.

Treatment for PTSD as a long-term disability is a constantly evolving field, so new possibilities may arise. One potential treatment developed at the Indiana University School of Medicine involves taking a blood test for biomarkers that may indicate anxiety. Considering how new this development is, insurance companies are likely not going to incorporate it into their long-term disability policies that cover medical expenses anytime soon, instead denying this kind of evidence.

How Can a New York PTSD Disability Insurance Firm Help With My Claim?

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While people living with PTSD have no doubt that it is a long-term disability, insurance companies are not so easy to convince. Having an experienced New York PTSD lawyer by your side can help you through the process and compile relevant evidence for your case. They will offer sound legal advice and keep you from exceeding the statute of limitations for long-term disability claims.

PTSD is particularly prone to denial when it comes to long-term disability benefits because it cannot be measured with typical diagnostic methods. Still, an experienced disability benefits lawyer will know what kind of tests can be used to help make your case. After all, the mental conditions that PTSD causes do often lead to changes in physiology, which can be measured directly to help a long-term disability claim.

A New York PTSD lawyer can communicate with the insurers while they try to deny your long-term disability condition’s validity. Plus, they can find specialists to corroborate your disability and talk with your doctor to help them document your condition properly for their insurance testimonial. Ultimately, a benefits lawyer can go so far as to represent you in court if the denial comes to that all the way to the verdict.

To receive help with your PTSD disability claim today, schedule a free consultation with our legal team.

You Don’t Have to Fight This Battle Alone

PTSD is a life-changing long-term disability condition, and you should not have to deal with it alone. The legal process is difficult for the average person at the best of times, so let us take care of the fight for you while you focus on rebuilding your life. Mental disabilities like PTSD are often denied and deemed invisible, but they can be just as devastating for the people suffering from them. The New York PTSD lawyers at our Long Island-based law firm will fight for your long-term disability claim. We can help appeal your denial as we have for so many other NYC residents throughout Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Bronx, Staten Island, and the areas surrounding New York City like Nassau.

If you do not live in New York, don’t worry. Our firm serves PTSD claimants nationwide and is able and willing to take your case.

To learn how the disability attorneys at the Law Office of Justin Frankel have represented other PTSD claimants and how they can help you, please call our office at 888-583-4959 for a free consultation.

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