HomeLibraryMaintenance & CureHow Can I Get My Monthly Maintenance Amount Increased?

How Can I Get My Monthly Maintenance Amount Increased?


There are at least two ways that we suggest you can try to get your monthly maintenance increased. First, be sure to send your company a written, detailed listing of each of your monthly expenses. You can use our maintenance worksheet here to help you prepare such a document to send to your company or the insurance company handling your claim. In doing so it will be clear on the record that your employer knows how much it takes for you to pay your monthly bills. Sometimes, but not often, your company may actually increase the amount maintenance based upon legitimate, proven monthly bills that you provide to them.

However, a much better way to increase your monthly maintenance amount is to be sure to file for short-term and long-term disability if you have such policies available to you from your employer. Ironically, most companies discourage injured seamen from applying for short-term and long-term disability. They do this because, in our opinion, most employers want to control the injured seaman’s source of income each month. This goes with the overall effort by most employers to control all aspects of your maritime injury claim.

We strongly recommend that anyone with short-term and long-term disability immediately apply for such benefits following a maritime injury. Although many short-term disability policies do not cover work-related injuries, almost all long-term disabilities do cover such injuries. It may take several months for your long-term disability to begin making payments, but at least you will have a source of income much higher than your monthly maintenance payments. This allows you to properly pursue all options and choices that you have against your employer without being concerned that your employer will terminate your monthly source of income.

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