Have a comment or question? Click this sentence to send us a message, and we might answer it in a future episode.

Welcome to Season 6, Episode 5 of Winning Isn't Easy. In this episode, we'll dive into The Language of Limitation: Russell Van Brocklen on What Dyslexia Research Teaches Us About Disability Claims.

Understanding how cognitive and reading challenges show up in real work settings can determine whether a disability claim is fairly evaluated or misunderstood. Too often, Long-Term Disability decisions focus on diagnoses alone, overlooking how processing speed, reading accuracy, memory, and mental fatigue affect day-to-day job performance. Insurers may recognize a condition exists while still concluding work is possible - without fully accounting for sustained cognitive demands. In this episode, we examine what functional limitation really looks like when cognitive challenges are involved. Our guest, Russell Van Brocklen, shares research-driven insights into how reading and processing difficulties affect productivity, accuracy, and endurance at work. We cover three areas: connecting cognitive science to disability claims, translating research into usable claim evidence, and practical takeaways for attorneys, clinicians, and claimants. By the end, you’ll see why cognitive limitations must be evaluated in real-world terms, and why linking science to functional impact is key to protecting Long-Term Disability benefits.

In this episode, we'll cover the following topics:

One - Background and Context: Bridging Research and Disability Claims

Two - Translating Cognitive Science into Claim Evidence

Three - Practical Insights for Attorneys, Clinicians, and Claimants

Whether you're a claimant, or simply seeking valuable insights into the disability claims landscape, this episode provides essential guidance to help you succeed in your journey. Don't miss it.


Listen to Our Sister Podcast:

We have a sister podcast - Winning Isn't Easy: Navigating Your Social Security Disability Claim. Give it a listen: https://wiessdpodcast.buzzsprout.com/


Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

LINK TO ROBBED OF YOUR PEACE OF MIND: https://mailchi.mp/caveylaw/ltd-robbed-of-your-piece-of-mind

LINK TO THE DISABILITY INSURANCE CLAIM SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR PROFESSIONALS: https://mailchi.mp/caveylaw/professionals-guide-to-ltd-benefits

FREE CONSULT LINK: https://caveylaw.com/contact-us/


Need Help Today?:

Need help with your Long-Term Disability or ERISA claim? Have questions? Please feel welcome to reach out to use for a FREE consultation. Just mention you listened to our podcast.

Review, like, and give us a thumbs up wherever you are listening to Winning Isn't Easy. We love to see your feedback about our podcast, and it helps us grow and improve.

Please remember that the content shared is for informational purposes only, and should not replace personalized legal advice or guidance from qualified professionals.

Have a comment or question? Click this sentence to send us a message, and we might answer it in a future episode.

Welcome to Season 6, Episode 4 of Winning Isn't Easy. In this episode, we'll dive into Vocational Evaluators and ERISA Disability: How Your Skills and Residual Functional Capacity Shape Your Claim.

Understanding how vocational evaluators fit into the ERISA disability process can be the difference between securing the Long-Term Disability benefits you paid for and having your claim unfairly denied. Disability carriers rely heavily on vocational experts, and their assessments often shape claim outcomes - sometimes in ways that don’t accurately reflect a claimant’s true functional abilities. Insurers don’t rely on medical records alone. They analyze residual functional capacity, past job duties, and whether your skills could transfer to other work. If your work history, limitations, or skills aren’t clearly documented, or if your occupation is misclassified, your claim can be delayed, reduced, or denied altogether. Vocational evaluations are especially decisive during the “own occupation” and “any occupation” phases of a claim. Small assumptions or errors in a VE report can have outsized consequences, making it critical to understand how these evaluations work and how they can be challenged. In this episode, we break the process down into three parts: what ERISA claimants need to know about vocational experts and transferable skills, why challenging the carrier’s VE is often essential, and how competing vocational opinions can protect your benefits. By the end, you’ll understand why winning an ERISA disability claim isn’t just about diagnosis - it’s about clearly presenting your functional limits and holding insurers’ experts accountable.

In this episode, we'll cover the following topics:

One - What Every ERISA Policy or Plan Holder Must Know About the Role of a Vocational Expert in Their Disability Insurance Claim

Two - Why You Must Have an Experienced ERISA Disability Attorney Attack the Opinion of the Carrier’s “Liar-for-Hire” Vocational Evaluator in Your Appeal

Three - The Hidden Battle of Experts - Your Vocational Evaluator vs. Theirs

Whether you're a claimant, or simply seeking valuable insights into the disability claims landscape, this episode provides essential guidance to help you succeed in your journey. Don't miss it.


Listen to Our Sister Podcast:

We have a sister podcast - Winning Isn't Easy: Navigating Your Social Security Disability Claim. Give it a listen: https://wiessdpodcast.buzzsprout.com/


Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

LINK TO ROBBED OF YOUR PEACE OF MIND: https://mailchi.mp/caveylaw/ltd-robbed-of-your-piece-of-mind

LINK TO THE DISABILITY INSURANCE CLAIM SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR PROFESSIONALS: https://mailchi.mp/caveylaw/professionals-guide-to-ltd-benefits

FREE CONSULT LINK: https://caveylaw.com/contact-us/


Need Help Today?:

Need help with your Long-Term Disability or ERISA claim? Have questions? Please feel welcome to reach out to use for a FREE consultation. Just mention you listened to our podcast.

Review, like, and give us a thumbs up wherever you are listening to Winning Isn't Easy. We love to see your feedback about our podcast, and it helps us grow and improve.

Please remember that the content shared is for informational purposes only, and should not replace personalized legal advice or guidance from qualified professionals.

Have a comment or question? Click this sentence to send us a message, and we might answer it in a future episode.

Welcome to Season 6, Episode 3 of Winning Isn't Easy. In this episode, we'll dive into the complicated topic of ERISA Disability Questions Answered: DOT, Sedentary Work, and Unemployment.

ERISA disability claims often raise more questions than answers, and the way those questions are resolved can directly determine whether benefits are approved, delayed, or denied. Claimants are frequently left wondering how their past work is evaluated, what really changes when a claim moves from an “own occupation” standard to an “any occupation” standard, and how skills, limitations, or even outside benefits like unemployment factor into the carrier’s decision-making. While these issues may seem secondary, insurers rely on them heavily to assess whether you meet the policy’s definition of disability. In this episode, we unpack the most common questions that come up in ERISA disability claims. We explain how carriers analyze your work history, what they look for when assessing transferable skills, and how physical and mental restrictions are weighed against potential occupations. We also discuss how vocational evidence, functional assessments, and medical documentation are used together, and why gaps, inconsistencies, or vague information can undermine an otherwise valid claim. Additionally, we break down how other benefits and activities can intersect with your ERISA claim and influence how insurers interpret your ability to work. By the end of the episode, you’ll have a clearer understanding of how ERISA carriers evaluate employability, why certain questions are asked during the claims process, and what evidence matters most. More importantly, you’ll learn how understanding these issues can help you better position your claim, avoid common pitfalls, and protect your Long-Term Disability benefits.

In this episode, we'll cover the following topics:

One - The Dictionary of Occupational Titles and Your ERISA Claim

Two - Sedentary Work and Why It Matters

Three - Unemployment Compensation and ERISA Disability

Whether you're a claimant, or simply seeking valuable insights into the disability claims landscape, this episode provides essential guidance to help you succeed in your journey. Don't miss it.


Listen to Our Sister Podcast:

We have a sister podcast - Winning Isn't Easy: Navigating Your Social Security Disability Claim. Give it a listen: https://wiessdpodcast.buzzsprout.com/


Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

LINK TO ROBBED OF YOUR PEACE OF MIND: https://mailchi.mp/caveylaw/ltd-robbed-of-your-piece-of-mind

LINK TO THE DISABILITY INSURANCE CLAIM SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR PROFESSIONALS: https://mailchi.mp/caveylaw/professionals-guide-to-ltd-benefits

FREE CONSULT LINK: https://caveylaw.com/contact-us/


Need Help Today?:

Need help with your Long-Term Disability or ERISA claim? Have questions? Please feel welcome to reach out to use for a FREE consultation. Just mention you listened to our podcast.

Review, like, and give us a thumbs up wherever you are listening to Winning Isn't Easy. We love to see your feedback about our podcast, and it helps us grow and improve.

Please remember that the content shared is for informational purposes only, and should not replace personalized legal advice or guidance from qualified professionals.