By Barbara R. Fallon
Ever since Edward Dabdoub successfully litigated his initial disability insurance case as a law clerk for a man whose disability insurance benefits were wrongfully terminated, he was determined to build a firm dedicated to holding insurance companies accountable.
Dabdoub Law Firm, a nationally recognized disability insurance law firm headquartered in Coral Gables, has been building a reputation for winning and his team of lawyers provide clients more than 20 years of proven abilities championing disability insurance and ERISA claims.
In fact, according to Dabdoub, their business model differentiates itself by not competing with firms who ‘race to the bottom’ for an out of court settlement that typically does not provide the best outcomes for clients.
“We are in a profession based on contingency fees, and disability cases are high risk; however, we are not looking for the low hanging fruit simply because it is an easier path. Instead, we are primed to litigate and win our cases in a timely manner because we are familiar with all the nuances of disability policies. We have collected a reservoir of expert physicians, academics, health care institutions and researchers who support an appeals process, and have countered any bias from insurance company cases in our successful arguments before disability claims judicial experts,” Dabdoub explained.
Most disability insurance claims are governed by Federal law and have enabled the law firm to build an impressive list of successful wins nationwide in support of the need for disability compensation.
In fact, the niche focus on disability has given each of the seven attorneys in the firm a breadth and depth of knowledge that allows them to move through the disability insurance litigation at an accelerated pace resulting in outcomes beneficial to their clients. Dabdoub Law Firm has built its forte competence and expertise in every stage of the disability insurance claims’ process from submitting an initial claim, to appealing a denial to the insurance carrier and into litigation. This includes building close relationships with professional authorities, particularly medical doctors and providers.
Expert Help for an Expert
A significant example of how this focused contractual expertise matters is the firm’s recent win for a skilled liver transplant surgeon in a university teaching hospital. The client had ‘own occupation’ disability insurance designed to provide benefits specific to one’s exact occupation. When a wrist injury prevented him from performing this highly specialized surgery the insurance company denied his request for total benefits because he was able to perform other related functions such as teaching and other surgeries. The insurance company’s attorneys implied that he had three occupations.
In contrast, Dabdoub argued that liver transplant surgery was indeed his pre-disability occupation, and those other duties were customary responsibilities of a liver transplant surgeon and not additional occupations. Therefore, since he was unable to perform his specialty surgical services he deserved total disability benefits regardless of his ability to perform faculty duties or other surgeries. In a summary judgment, the court ruled in favor of the specialty physician – a huge win for clinician clients protected by ‘own occupation’ policies.
Team Expertise
As an established expert in disability insurance law, Edward Dabdoub is a frequent speaker, lecturer and author on national and local stages of disability insurance benefits and ERISA for legal organizations. The Dabdoub team also shares expertise and strategy through podcasts, videos and educational counsel.
“We have represented the full spectrum of clients from high profile NFL players and academic physicians to blue collar working men and women – all of whom are simply deserving of benefits to support their families. More importantly, we win unique claims for our clients against some of the toughest opponents,” Dabdoub noted, “We are prepared to argue and explain the barriers our clients with disabilities face – physical, psychological, technological – and then to win their claims, unlike many firms who are not willing to risk going to court,” he explained.
The team of attorneys at Dabdoub Law Firm have all been infused with a desire to advocate for deserving clients and defend their disability claims. They provide access to legal expertise as well as a thorough understanding of occupational demands and various medical conditions and feel absolutely confident in their professional ability to win what sometimes seems unwinnable.
Whether we think of disabilities from birth, work accidents or other acute or long-term causes – physical or psychological – Dabdoub Law is comprehensively schooled in the barriers clients face and uses that knowledge to accelerate a successful outcome. The law firm is home to experts who have effectively debated against formidable adversaries. They pride themselves on effective communications with clients at every turn in the process. Due to sheer volume and exposure to unique cultural workplace or occupational dilemmas, Dabdoub Law Firm uses hands-on legal, bilingual or professional and personal familiarity with issues to navigate a path through successful litigation.
Founding attorney, Edward Dabdoub’s pedigree includes a family of five attorneys. Raised in Jamaica, he earned his MBA from Florida International University and graduated cum laude from the University of Miami Law School.
He and his firm have been recognized with several elite awards for expertise in his field along with client endorsed testimonials.
For more information, visit www.longtermdisability.net or call 1-800-969-0488.
