In the event you or a beloved one struggles with extreme narcolepsy, you know the way troublesome it may be to take care of a constant each day routine. Whereas medical remedies and different affordable lodging will help many individuals handle their daytime sleepiness and scale back the chance of harmful sleep assaults, typically even one of the best care will not be sufficient to allow suffers to work safely.
In the event you fall into this class, you could possibly obtain short-term or long-term disability benefits. Nonetheless, proving that your narcolepsy prevents you from working is not going to essentially be simple and should require important medical proof.
On this weblog put up, we are going to briefly cowl what narcolepsy is, how signs can influence your capacity to work, and the way an skilled incapacity lawyer will help you get the incapacity advantages you deserve.
What Is Narcolepsy and How Can It Impression My Capability to Work?
Narcolepsy is a persistent sleep problem that regularly ends in a number of of the next signs:
Extreme daytime sleepiness. Folks with narcolepsy usually expertise extreme fatigue all through the day and have bother staying awake for prolonged intervals of time.
Sleep assaults. As a consequence of utmost fatigue, individuals with narcolepsy could immediately go to sleep. Whereas this may be preceded by a brief interval of serious drowsiness, for some individuals sleep assaults include virtually no warning.
Sudden muscle weak point. Some individuals with narcolepsy are liable to sudden lack of muscle tone and voluntary muscle management, for up to a couple minutes at a time. Also referred to as cataplexy, this may increasingly trigger the particular person to stoop, slur their speech, or in excessive instances even fall over.
Sleep paralysis. Sometimes, individuals with narcolepsy could also be unable to maneuver or communicate simply earlier than falling asleep, or for a couple of seconds to a couple minutes after waking.
Narcolepsy signs could make sure varieties of labor harmful, significantly if it includes driving or working equipment. Nonetheless, extreme daytime sleepiness can even make it troublesome to focus, be current and attentive throughout conferences and appointments, and carry out different important duties in a variety of job roles.
Getting Incapacity Advantages for Narcolepsy Authorized Can Be Difficult
Though it might be apparent to you that your narcolepsy signs make it unattainable to carry out your important work duties and thus qualify you for incapacity advantages, you should still encounter important resistance from the insurance coverage firm. Under are a couple of of the largest obstacles.
Skepticism About Self-Reported Signs
Narcolepsy might not be as instantly obvious to an out of doors observer as a extra apparent bodily incapacity—for instance, a damaged leg in a forged. Due to this, the insurance coverage firm could accuse you of exaggerating your narcolepsy signs and their impact in your capacity to work.
To have any probability at having your incapacity declare accepted, you will want to again it up with a transparent analysis and powerful medical proof.
Personal Occupation vs. Any Occupation Incapacity Insurance coverage Insurance policies
An “personal occupation” incapacity coverage means you solely have to show that you simply can’t carry out your present job in an effort to be eligible for advantages. That is the perfect state of affairs for claimants, and makes it a lot simpler to get approval, significantly in the event you work in a area the place excessive daytime sleepiness or sleep assaults would clearly be harmful for your self or others—like docs, drivers, or individuals who work round unprotected heights or with heavy equipment.
Nonetheless, many long-term incapacity insurance policies use an “any occupation” definition, that means it’s essential to show you might be unable to do any work to which you might be moderately suited, even outdoors your present occupation. It’s a lot more durable to get advantages below these sorts of insurance policies.
Narcolepsy Is Not a Certified Dysfunction for Social Safety Incapacity Insurance coverage
Simply because a situation will not be acknowledged as a qualifying dysfunction by the Social Safety Administration (SSA) doesn’t imply you can’t qualify below a separate short-term or long-term incapacity coverage. Nonetheless, some long-term incapacity insurance policies would require you to file for Social Safety incapacity earlier than submitting a non-public insurance coverage declare.
That mentioned, you should still have the ability to get Social Safety incapacity advantages too, though you’ll have to show that the signs impair your capacity to work and that they’re much like a situation that’s listed. (Folks with narcolepsy who’re trying to get social safety advantages usually accomplish that below the epilepsy itemizing.)
At Bryant Authorized Group, we primarily signify individuals who have incapacity claims with a non-public insurer. Nonetheless, if we consider your situation additionally qualifies you for Social Safety incapacity advantages, we will help you with that as nicely. Our incapacity insurance coverage attorneys don’t deal with stand-alone Social Safety claims.
Learn how to Strengthen Your Lengthy-Time period Incapacity Case
To win your incapacity case, you will want to deliver as a lot medical proof and non-medical proof as you possibly can to conclusively present how your situation impacts your life. Right here are some things you need to deal with.
Set up a Clear Medical Analysis
Merely claiming to be consistently fatigued or liable to sleep assaults is not going to be adequate. You will have a analysis and supporting medical proof from a professional doctor, which would require collaborating in a minimum of two important sleep research:
- Polysomnogram: You keep in a single day at a sleep heart whereas a machine information mind waves, eye actions, respiration, and different important indicators for nacolepsy and different sleep issues.
- A number of sleep latency take a look at: You are taking 5 scheduled naps all through the day, and a specialist measures how rapidly it takes you to go to sleep, whether or not or not REM sleep is achieved, and if that’s the case how rapidly REM sleep is achieved.
Rigorously Comply with the Therapy Plan From Your Treating Doctor
Though there is no such thing as a identified treatment for narcolepsy, many individuals are capable of efficiently handle their narcoleptic signs by taking sure medicines, in addition to life-style modifications (resembling common train and strict bedtimes, wake occasions, and a nap schedule).
Some persons are capable of management their narcolepsy nicely sufficient to work a daily job, a minimum of with affordable lodging made by the employer. Nonetheless, this isn’t true for everybody, and regardless of your finest efforts you could not have the ability to get by means of the workday with out important problem.
By following your physician’s therapy plan to the letter, you present the insurance coverage firm that you’re severe about your situation and making a very good religion effort to handle it, and your incapacity is out of your management.
Ask Your Physician to Write a Letter Supporting Your Analysis and Your Incapacity Declare
Once more, it is very important keep in mind that a narcolepsy analysis in and of itself will not be proof of a incapacity. You want to hyperlink your analysis to particular signs that make it unattainable so that you can work below the phrases of your incapacity insurance coverage coverage.
Self-reported signs might be handled with skepticism. A letter out of your physician outlining your analysis, your signs, and the way these signs impair your capacity to work can, together with detailed medical information, present the proof it’s essential to help your declare.
Hold a Cautious Report of Your Situation
It’s a very sensible concept to maintain a journal of your expertise with narcolepsy. Report any intervals of intense drowsiness, the length of any naps (anticipated or sudden), situations the place you had been unable to pay attention or full a activity as a consequence of signs you might not management. Additionally file the medicines you take, life-style methods you might be utilizing to manage signs, and even any triggers you possibly can establish.
This data might be very helpful to your treating physician as they assemble an acceptable therapy plan, however it may possibly additionally assist your incapacity case.
RELATED POST: Learn How a Disability Journal Can Help Your Disability Claim
Rigorously Evaluate Your Incapacity Insurance coverage Coverage
Every insurance coverage coverage is totally different, and can comprise vital details about how incapacity is outlined (“personal occupation” vs “any occupation”), what situations are and are usually not lined, how “self-reported” situations are lined, what requirements of proof have to be met to qualify, and extra.
Rigorously reviewing your coverage will assist you determine whether or not or not you might have a legit declare for incapacity insurance coverage advantages, and what proof and data you will want to offer to the insurance coverage firm in an effort to obtain them.
Bryant Authorized Group: The Lengthy-Time period Incapacity Consultants
If narcolepsy is protecting you from working, chances are high you will want some assist getting your incapacity declare accepted. Whether or not you might be simply at the beginning of that course of, otherwise you simply acquired your first denial discover, our skilled incapacity attorneys are prepared to help.
Bryant Authorized Group is acknowledged in Chicago and past for our aggressive authorized methods, compassionate consumer care, and nice outcomes. To request your free session with our group, full our online form or name us at 312-561-3010.
