Bell’s Palsy Disability Claim

Bell’s Palsy strikes suddenly, causing a temporary weakness on one side of the facial muscles. Only one side of the mouth can smile, and the eye lids on the afflicted side resist closing normally.

Bell’s Palsy is believed to occur when the nerve that controls the muscles on one side of the face becomes inflamed. This is temporary for most people, and symptoms resolve within about six months. But if your career is centered on your appearance, i.e., a sales person or a corporate trainer, both of whom must be in front of people on a daily basis, Bell’s Palsy can have a very bad impact on your ability to work.

Symptoms are not limited to one side of the face drooping. They also include:

• Drooling
• Pain around the jaw or in or behind your ear
• Increased sensitivity to sound
• Headache
• An inability to taste
• Changes in the amount of saliva or tears you produce

Bell’s Palsy is often related to exposure to a viral infection, and there can be serious complications, including

• Permanent damage to a facial nerve
• Abnormal regrowth of nerve fibers, resulting in involuntary contractions of certain muscles when attempting to move other muscles
• Partial or complete blindness of the eye that won’t close because of excessive dryness or scratching of the cornea

If you have filed a disability insurance claim because of a Bell’s Palsy diagnosis, be prepared for the disability insurance company to insist on paying the claim for a short period of time, citing Bell’s Palsy as a short-term condition.

Unfortunately, this is not always the case. There are some people who lose their eyesight as the result of Bell’s Palsy, or are unable to perform the tasks of the occupation they have devoted years to training for.

Call the long-term disability insurance Attorneys at the Law Office of Justin Frankel at 888-583-4959 to find out how we can fight your claim denial or help you prepare to file a claim. We have worked with Bell’s Palsy sufferers and we know how the insurance companies and their claims adjusters will approach your claim.