long term disability donahoe kearney law firm

Reviewing A Long Term Disability Appeal Claim File

If your long-term disability benefits were denied in Washington, D.C., your appeal starts with the claim file.

That file—kept by the insurance company—is the only thing a federal judge will review if your case goes to court.

Whether your long-term disability plan is through your employer or a private policy, you only get one chance to submit the right evidence. And you only have 180 days to file your appeal under ERISA, the federal law that governs most disability claims.

At Donahoe Kearney, we review your denial letter for free and give you a clear plan to move forward. But don’t wait—your appeal has to be more than a quick form or short letter. It takes detailed medical proof, legal strategy, and expert guidance to win.

Why We Request the Long-Term Disability Claim File Right Away

If your long-term disability benefits were denied by MetLife, Guardian, Hartford, or any other major insurer, the first step is to request your complete claim file. This is especially important in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, where most claims are governed by federal ERISA law.

You only have 180 days to file an appeal, and the clock starts the day you get your denial letter. These files can be hundreds—sometimes thousands—of pages long, so we act fast to gather everything and review it for errors or missing information.

Three Reasons the Claim File Matters

You’re on a strict deadline. The claim file is the foundation of your appeal. We need to move quickly to protect your rights.
The files are massive. We’ve seen claim files from insurance companies like Cigna and UNUM that are over 1,000 pages. Our in-house team organizes and reviews every page.
You need to be sure it’s complete. Missing medical records, job details, or doctors’ opinions can be the reason your benefits were denied. We make sure nothing is left out.

What’s Inside a Long-Term Disability Claim File

Each file is different, but here’s what we commonly find:

Your LTD application
Medical records and test results
Job descriptions and physical demands
Notes from phone interviews or statements
Internal insurance company notes and emails
Reports from their in-house doctors or outside consultants
Quality assurance audits and policy documents
Communications with your treating physicians

How We Use It to Build Your Appeal

We recently reviewed a denied claim from a healthcare worker in DC—his file was 941 pages. That’s why we use technology and trained staff to break it down and analyze it quickly.

From there, we look at how companies like Prudential or Lincoln Financial made their decision—what they focused on, what they ignored, and how we can challenge it. Your appeal needs to tell the full story of why you can’t work—and that starts with the claim file.

Donahoe Kearney Makes it Easy for You

If you’re struggling with a chronic, debilitating medical condition or injury that prevents you from working, you need to focus on your medical treatment and rehab.

We make it easy for you to get started. And if you were denied long term disability benefits or these were cut off, we will review that denial letter for free, with absolutely no obligation and analyze a plan to give you for your appeal. Click here to schedule your own time for a consultation.

Call us at 202-393-3320, and we will ask you a few simple questions to get you started and let you know what steps to take next.