Short Term Disability Attorney in Fort Lauderdale

Disability-Focused Representation for Broward County Policyholders

Short-term disability insurance covers a portion of your lost wages when an injury or illness prevents you from working. You paid your premiums. You’re entitled to those benefits under the terms of your policy. But insurance companies sometimes act in bad faith, wrongfully denying or delaying legitimate claims, and the policy language they hide behind is often deliberately complex.

Every policy differs in what it covers, what it excludes, and how it defines disability. A policy-specific review isn’t a luxury. It’s the first step toward understanding what your policy may provide.

Put decades of experience on your side when fighting a wrongfully denied insurance claim. Call (954) 324-2340 or contact us online to schedule a FREE initial consultation with our Florida short-term disability attorneys.

45+ Years of Disability Insurance Representation

Attorney Martin Sperry has devoted over 45 years of legal practice exclusively to disability insurance claims. Our firm has recovered millions of dollars for clients whose short-term disability benefits were wrongfully denied, and clients work directly with Attorney Sperry throughout the process. No junior staff. No hand-offs. You get one-on-one attention and honest assessments at every stage.

We serve policyholders throughout Fort Lauderdale and Broward County, as well as clients across South Florida. Free initial consultations are available in person, by phone, or via Zoom. One important note: our practice is limited to private and employer-sponsored disability insurance claims. We don’t handle Social Security Disability (SSDI) matters.

How Short-Term Disability Insurance Works in Florida

Short-term disability benefits typically cover a set percentage of lost wages during a defined benefit period. Many policies replace up to 60% of income, though some carry maximum benefit caps. Qualifying events include pregnancy complications, childbirth, broken limbs, debilitating illness, and intensive surgery.

Before benefits begin, policyholders must satisfy an elimination period: a waiting period built into the policy that commonly runs approximately two weeks from the onset of disability. Once that period concludes, benefit payments continue until you return to work or the benefit period expires, whichever comes first. Most benefit periods run several months, though some policies extend coverage for up to a few years. Premiums are paid monthly by the employee, the employer, or both, depending on how the plan is structured.

What Qualifies for Short-Term Disability Benefits

When a qualifying event occurs, you submit a claim explaining the injury or illness and its impact on your ability to work. A medical professional must confirm you can’t work before an insurer will approve the claim. Comprehensive, accurate medical records are critical. Gaps or inconsistencies in documentation are among the most common justifications insurers use to reject an otherwise valid claim.

We can review your specific policy and help you understand what benefits you may be eligible to receive, and whether the insurer’s position is legally defensible.

Fighting the Insurance Companies Denying Your Claim

Attorney Sperry began his career representing insurance companies. That background gives our firm direct visibility into the internal strategies, claim evaluation processes, and denial tactics that major insurers rely on. Insurance companies invest heavily in claims examiners and investigators whose job is to protect the insurer’s financial interests. We know how they operate because we’ve operated on that side.

We’ve stood up to some of the largest disability carriers in the country on behalf of Fort Lauderdale claimants. Those carriers include:

• Hartford
• Unum
• MetLife
• Mutual of Omaha
• Matrix
• Reliance Standard
• Mass Mutual
• Northwestern Mutual
• The Standard

Our approach is methodical. Every claim is organized to withstand rigorous insurer scrutiny, and every appeal is built around the specific grounds the carrier cited for denial. Attorney Sperry holds the AV Preeminent rating, a peer-review classification in the legal profession, and has been recognized by Super Lawyers, the American Board of Trial Advocates, the Florida Bar, and the American Association for Justice.

ERISA vs. Florida State Law: Why the Distinction Matters

The legal framework governing your short-term disability claim depends on how you obtained the policy. Most employer-sponsored plans are governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), a federal law that mandates specific internal appeals procedures. Failing to follow the ERISA-required process precisely can affect your ability to pursue the claim in federal court.

Individually purchased short-term disability policies fall outside ERISA and are governed by Florida state law instead. The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation oversees insurance regulations in the state and provides certain policyholder protections, but the remedies available, the appeals timeline, and the legal standards applied in court differ significantly between ERISA and state-law claims. Identifying which framework applies is one of the first things we determine after reviewing a client’s policy.

Call (954) 324-2340 or contact us online to schedule a FREE initial consultation with our Florida short-term disability attorneys.