Long-Term Disability Lawyers in Ontario
A denied or terminated long-term disability claim can leave you without income at the worst possible time. Azimi Law and Naimark Law Firm are Ontario trial lawyers who take on disability insurers, force them to honour the policy you paid for, and pursue the benefits, lump-sum settlements, and damages you are owed when an insurer acts in bad faith.
A Denied LTD Claim Is a Breach of Contract.
When you cannot work because of illness or injury, long-term disability coverage is supposed to replace part of your income so you can focus on getting better. That coverage comes from a contract — a group policy through your employer or an individual policy you purchased — and when the insurer refuses to pay or cuts you off, it has broken that contract. A long-term disability lawsuit is fundamentally a breach-of-contract action against the disability insurer. This is a different legal route from auto accident benefits, and it is governed by the wording of your specific policy.
Insurers deny valid claims for many reasons that have little to do with how disabled you actually are. They may decide your condition does not meet the policy's definition of disability, rely on a paper review by a doctor who never examined you, point to surveillance footage taken out of context, or argue you can return to some form of work. None of these tactics means your claim is weak. They mean the insurer has made a decision in its own financial interest — and that decision can be challenged.
Ryan Naimark spent close to two decades acting for insurance companies before turning to represent claimants. He has seen from the inside how disability files are assessed, where insurers look to deny, and what evidence makes a denial difficult to defend. Together with Ben Azimi's trial experience, that perspective lets us anticipate the insurer's strategy and build the case to defeat it.
The most important thing to understand is that disability policies are full of deadlines. There are notice and proof-of-claim requirements in the policy itself, and a general two-year limitation period to start a lawsuit. Wait too long and a strong claim can be lost on a technicality. If your benefits have been denied or terminated, the time to get advice is now.
No Win. No Fee. Legal fees are a percentage of your recovery. The firm funds the disbursements needed to build your case. If there is no recovery, you owe nothing for legal fees.
Types of Long-Term Disability Claims We Handle
Disability denials take many forms, and the path forward depends on your policy, your condition, and how the insurer justified its decision. We handle the full range.
Outright Denials
The insurer refuses your claim from the start, often arguing your condition does not meet the policy's definition of disability or that the medical evidence is insufficient. We assemble the supporting documentation needed to overturn the decision.
Terminated Benefits
Many claimants are paid for a period and then cut off — frequently at the point a policy shifts from an "own occupation" to an "any occupation" test. We challenge terminations that ignore the reality of your condition.
"Own" vs "Any" Occupation Disputes
Most policies first ask whether you can do your own job, then later whether you can do any job you are reasonably suited for. How those definitions apply to your situation often decides the case, and we argue them carefully.
Surveillance & IME Denials
Insurers rely on surveillance and independent medical examinations to question your disability. We put that evidence in proper context and counter it with treating-physician and specialist opinions.
Paper-Review Denials
A claim is often denied based on a file review by a physician who never met you. We challenge the weight of these opinions against the assessments of the doctors who actually treat you.
Invisible & Chronic Conditions
Chronic pain, mental-health conditions, fatigue-based illnesses, and other conditions without obvious external signs are frequently doubted by insurers. These claims are provable with the right medical and functional evidence.
Compensation Available in a Long-Term Disability Case
What you can recover depends on your policy and the insurer's conduct. A successful claim may include some or all of the following.
Past & Ongoing Benefits
The disability payments you were wrongly denied to date, plus continued monthly benefits going forward for as long as you remain disabled under the terms of the policy.
Lump-Sum Settlement
Rather than monthly payments, many claims resolve through a single lump-sum settlement that buys out the insurer's future obligations, giving you certainty and a clean break from the dispute.
Reinstatement of Benefits
Where benefits were terminated, a resolution can include putting you back on claim so that monthly payments resume under the policy you paid into.
Mental-Distress Damages
The denial of disability benefits can cause real psychological harm. Where the policy was meant to provide peace of mind, courts may award damages for the mental distress caused by a wrongful denial.
Bad-Faith Damages
When an insurer handles a claim in a high-handed or egregious manner, additional damages may be available to mark and deter that conduct, over and above the benefits themselves.
Costs & Interest
A successful claim can also recover interest on the benefits that should have been paid and a contribution toward your legal costs, depending on the outcome of the litigation.
The Legal Process & Critical Deadlines
A long-term disability claim moves through defined stages, and the deadlines buried in your policy can be just as important as the two-year limitation to sue.
Review the Policy & the Denial
We start by reading your policy closely — the definition of disability, the notice and proof requirements, and the reasons given for the denial — so we understand exactly what the insurer must answer for.
Build the Medical & Functional Record
Strong, consistent medical evidence from your treating doctors and specialists is the foundation of the claim. We gather the records and opinions that document how your condition limits your ability to work.
Negotiate With the Insurer
Many claims resolve through negotiation once the insurer is presented with a well-supported file. We push for reinstatement, payment of arrears, or a fair lump-sum settlement.
Commence Litigation
If the insurer will not resolve the claim fairly, we issue a statement of claim for breach of contract — and, where the conduct warrants it, advance a claim for bad-faith and mental-distress damages.
Prepare for Trial
We build every file as though it will be decided by a judge. That readiness is what convinces insurers to settle on reasonable terms rather than risk a hearing.
Watch the deadlines. Disability policies contain their own notice and proof-of-claim requirements, and a general two-year limitation period applies to starting a lawsuit. Miss one of these and a valid claim can be lost. The safest step is to get advice as soon as your benefits are denied or terminated.
Why Claimants Choose Azimi Law & Naimark Law Firm
We Know How Insurers Think
Ryan Naimark spent roughly 20 years defending insurance companies. We use that inside understanding of how disability claims are assessed and denied to build a stronger case for you.
We Are Trial Lawyers
We prepare each disability file for the courtroom, not just for settlement talks. That readiness is what moves insurers off an unfair denial.
Two Firms, Combined Depth
Azimi Law and Naimark Law Firm work together so your claim has the resources and bench strength of two established Ontario trial practices.
No Win, No Fee
You pay nothing up front and nothing for legal fees unless we recover for you. The firm funds the cost of advancing your case.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a long-term disability claim the same as auto accident benefits?+
No. A long-term disability claim is a breach-of-contract action against your disability insurer under a group or individual policy. Auto accident benefits (SABS) are a separate, no-fault system that responds to motor vehicle accidents. They are governed by different rules and different deadlines. If your disability arose from a car accident you may have both kinds of claims, and we can advise on how they fit together.
What does "own occupation" versus "any occupation" mean?+
Most long-term disability policies have two phases. In the first, usually the initial two years, you are disabled if you cannot perform the essential duties of your own occupation. After that, many policies switch to an "any occupation" test, under which you must be unable to do any job you are reasonably suited for by education, training, or experience. The shift to "any occupation" is a common point at which insurers terminate benefits, and how that definition applies to you can decide the case.
The insurer used surveillance and a paper review to deny me. Can I still win?+
Yes. Surveillance footage is often brief and taken out of context, and a paper review is an opinion from a doctor who never examined you. Neither is the last word on whether you are disabled. We place that evidence in proper context and counter it with the detailed opinions of the doctors who actually treat you, along with functional evidence about your real limitations.
How long do I have to sue my disability insurer?+
A general two-year limitation period applies to starting a lawsuit, and your policy contains its own notice and proof-of-claim deadlines that can be even shorter. Because the exact starting point can be complicated and the consequences of missing a deadline are severe, you should get legal advice promptly after a denial or termination rather than waiting.
What is a bad-faith claim?+
Insurers owe their policyholders a duty of good faith. When an insurer handles a claim in a high-handed, callous, or egregious way — for example, ignoring clear medical evidence or denying a claim without a reasonable basis — a court may award additional bad-faith and mental-distress damages beyond the benefits owed. These damages are meant to mark and discourage that kind of conduct.
My short-term disability just ended and long-term was denied. What now?+
It is common for short-term disability to be approved and long-term disability to be denied, because the two are assessed under different standards and sometimes by different insurers. A denial at the long-term stage does not mean you are no longer disabled. We can review the long-term policy, the basis for the denial, and the medical evidence, and advise you on challenging it.
What does it cost to hire you?+
Nothing up front. We work on a contingency fee basis, meaning our legal fee is a percentage of what we recover for you, and the firm funds the disbursements required to advance your case. If there is no recovery, you owe no legal fees. We explain the agreement in plain language before you sign anything.
Denied Long-Term Disability? Talk to a Trial Lawyer.
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