No one wants to be disabled. We would all prefer to be healthy, productive and earning an income. Illness or injury can take away that choice. When poor health prevents us from working, suddenly we face both a health crisis and a financial crisis. If you have been paying premiums for long-term disability insurance, you certainly expect your insurance company to do what you paid them to do – to protect you and your family in that time of crisis. This is true whether you are a doctor, lawyer, accountant, engineer or any other hard working employee. Sadly, insurance companies all too often make a bad situation worse. Every claim an insurance company pays takes a bite out of its profits. Your insurer has a legal duty to pay your valid claim, and you have a right to the benefits for which you have contracted.