According to recent research, multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms have been linked to a high incident of job displacement, terminations, or voluntary job departures in employees living with the condition. While it was already quite clear that the physical debilitations caused by MS could prevent someone from holding gainful employment, the research focused closely on chronic exhaustion and persistent or severe cognitive impairment suffered by MS patients well before the onset of physical symptoms.
It is estimated that nearly 100% of all MS patients will experience strong fatigue and mental health issues. The conditions MS causes can be so prevalent that they manifest in a number of other ways, including but not limited to blurred vision, difficulty understanding speech or talking, and an inability to safely control an automobile. When everything is considered, it is not surprising that MS patients face tremendous challenges when seeking or attempting to hold employment.
Another study into MS symptoms conducted in Europe recently noticed a sharp decline of productivity in workers with MS. Total productivity fell nearly 75% at just the earliest stages of MS symptom manifestations, such as exhaustion and mental fatigue. The productivity of an MS patient would predictably fall even further if they had also developed depression due to the chronic illness.
Researchers in Australia were able to study the work patterns of hundreds of employees with MS throughout the country. They found that many MS patients were missing one day of work a week due to strong symptoms, and some were calling out or otherwise absent from the workplace one-in-four days. On average, the cost of lost income per person per year due to MS forcing them to miss work was nearly $5,000.
Using Long-Term Disability Benefits to Make Ends Meet
If you are struggling to keep gainful employment due to multiple sclerosis, even if it has not developed into strong physical debilitations, you might be eligible to receive long term disability benefits. Call (800) 969-0488 to connect with Dabdoub Law Firm and our long term disability insurance attorneys to discover and explore your options. We have a long history of managing long term disability claims for our clients, including acting as legal representatives for appeals, litigation, and settlement negotiations. In fact, throughout our many years of practice, we have dealt with every major insurance company on behalf of the people we represent, who include workers from any occupation and who are living with any medical condition.
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