Why is a letter from my doctor saying I am totally disabled not enough to win my long-term disability benefits?

Allan W. Ben, PC: A letter from your doctor will not in and of itself guarantee success on your claim for disability benefits. Your doctor's opinion of your total disability is only one important piece of the puzzle. If that is the only document you send in as your appeal, you will probably not be successful. In order to win, you will need a combination of many different forms of proof. Depending on the facts of your case, you will most likely need the combination of medical and vocational evidence. A letter from your doctor is an important piece of the evidence necessary to establish your total disability, but not the only piece of evidence. In fact, there are many instances when the treating physician believes that his patient is totally disabled, fills out all of the forms required by the carrier, and they still deny your claim for disability benefits