Chris is an insured bricklayer who severed his left hand and cannot perform his primary duties, but he also works as a substitute teacher. He collects a full disability income check monthly. How does his policy define total disability?

• A. Total disability means inability to perform any job
• B. Total disability means disability only in own occupation
• C. Total disability requires total loss of earnings in every job
• D. Total disability is defined as inability to perform the duties of his own occupation

Answer: (D)

Total disability in this context means the inability to perform the duties of your own occupation. When a policy uses an own-occupation definition, the test is whether you can do the specific job you trained for and normally perform, not whether you can work in some other line of work. In Chris’s case, he can no longer perform the duties of bricklaying, but he can still work as a substitute teacher. Because the policy defines total disability as the inability to perform the duties of his own occupation, he is considered totally disabled and would typically receive full disability benefits, even though he can earn income in another job. If the policy used an any-occupation definition, his ability to substitute teach and his earnings might affect eligibility for benefits, but that isn’t the case here.