Ortiz Law Firm

10/12/2026

If your LTD appeal succeeds after a wrongful denial, the insurer generally owes you back benefits — the payments that should have been made during the months the claim was improperly denied.

Has your long-term disability claim been denied? Contact Ortiz Law Firm.

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10/09/2026

Many people wait until their Social Security Disability hearing to bring in an attorney — but early representation can make a real difference. Getting help at the initial application or reconsideration stage means more complete records, stronger physician forms, and fewer gaps for SSA to flag later. Ortiz Law Firm accepts SSD clients from day one, not just at the hearing stage.

Many people assume you do not need a disability attorney until you are preparing for a hearing before an administrative law judge. That assumption is wrong —

10/07/2026

10/05/2026

The LTD appeal is not paperwork. It is, effectively, the trial.

Under ERISA, courts reviewing denied claims are limited to the administrative record built during the appeal. If medical evidence wasn't submitted during the appeal, courts generally can't consider it. If legal arguments weren't raised, they may be waived.

This means that what happens during the appeal — what goes into the file, what arguments are made, how the insurer's denial is addressed — determines what a judge has to work with if the case goes further. Treating that process like paperwork produces outcomes that reflect it.

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10/02/2026

Asking your disability insurer for a buyout could trigger an investigation into your claim — even if you're currently receiving benefits without issue. 🔍

Nick Ortiz explains why initiating a buyout request often raises red flags for insurers, what happens to most of those requests (spoiler: they're declined), and how the payout math works when benefits are active versus when a claim is in litigation.

If you are receiving long-term disability benefits and feeling worn down by constant monitoring, requests for updated records, and ongoing scrutiny, you may

09/28/2026

Mental health SSDI claims can be won. But they require a different approach than physical condition claims, and most claimants don't know that until they're already in the appeal process.

SSA evaluates mental health impairments across four functional areas: understanding and memory, concentration and pace, social interaction, and ability to adapt. A diagnosis isn't enough. What's needed is documentation from a treating provider that maps your specific symptoms to those functional categories with clinical detail.

The claims that succeed have treating providers who understand what SSA is looking for and document accordingly — not just clinical notes that confirm the diagnosis.

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09/25/2026

Even after approval, your insurance company will continue to review your claim. Learn what to expect and how to stay prepared.

The frequency of long-term disability reviews varies depending on the insurer, the terms of the policy, and the nature of the disability. Some claimants may

09/21/2026

Your insurance company has scheduled a functional capacity evaluation. Here's what that actually means — and why it matters for your claim.

An FCE is a structured test that measures your physical capacity: lifting, sitting, standing, walking. The results are used to build your RFC — the functional profile that determines what jobs you're theoretically capable of performing.

The catch: an FCE measures what you can do on one day, under observation, knowing you're being tested. For conditions that fluctuate, cause fatigue that builds over time, or affect function differently on different days, a single-day test may not capture your actual functional baseline.

Understanding what the evaluation is measuring — and how the results will be used — is worth knowing before you walk in.

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