Examples of Disability Insurance Claims

It may surprise you that only 14% of disability insurance claims are caused by injuries, most are caused by illness. Thus the ratio of claims because of illness is six times more likely to come from illness. (1)

The following gives actual recent claims from a large disability insurance company. (2)

Recently Paid Claims

Occupation	Claim onset age	Claim onset date	Policy issue date	Disability/Diagnosis
Accountant	58	2003	1996	Pancreatic Cancer
Anesthesiologist	60	1999	1996	Disorders involving the immune mechanism
Attorney	40	2004	1997	Pregnancy
Attorney	50	2001	1998	Acute myocardial infarction
Dental Hygienist	38	2001	1998	Herniated disc
Dentist	50	2003	1997	Fracture of clavicle
Engineer	45	2003	1999	Lumbar intervertebral disk without myelopathy
Executive	52	1997	1997	Irritable colon
Executive	42	1997	1997	Senile and presenile organic psychotic conditions
Manager	53	1999	1998	Polymyalgia rheumatica
Nurse	51	2001	1998	Labral degeneration
Physician Obstetrics	62	2003	2000	Low back pain/strain
Physician	56	2002	1999	Monocytic leukemia
Sales	39	2003	1999	Diffuse diseases of connective tissue
Sales	33	2003	2000	Traumatic brain injury

(1) Disability Statistics Abstract Number 16 (September 1996) Published by the Disability Statistics Rehabilitation Research and Training Center, University of California San Francisco, and The National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (U.S. Department of Education)
(2) From a major insurance company publication. Copy of publication available upon request.

More statistics:

For more statistics about disability check these pages:

Disability statistics

Disability insurance facts

How long do disabilities last on average?

Likelihood of death versus a long term disability

What is the likelihood of disability occurring?