Tips to Help Your Social Security Disability Claim

If you are unable to work due to a medical condition, you may qualify for Social Security disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA). While you may meet the eligibility requirements, the process of filing for benefits and obtaining approval from the SSA can be very long and complex, so it is important to avoid certain pitfalls that can derail your claim. Here are four tips to follow to ensure that your disability claim stays on the right track:

• Be sure to allege all of your medical problems in your disability application, including mental conditions. Sometimes it may be possible to obtain disability payments for a combination of impairments that wouldn’t qualify for benefits individually. Mental impairments like anxiety or depression often accompany physical conditions in many applicants.
• See a doctor for your medical condition. The SSA won’t be easily convinced that your condition is severe enough for disability benefits if you haven’t seen a doctor and are not receiving treatment. However, there are acceptable reasons for not seeking treatment, including being unable to afford it and not having access to free or low cost medical services. But if you are able, seeing a healthcare practitioner will provide valuable evidence of the severity of your condition that will help your disability claim. Accordingly:
• Take medication as prescribed by your doctor. When evaluating your claim, the SSA will look to ascertain whether or not your condition is severely limiting. If you neglect to comply with your doctor’s prescribed treatment recommendations, the SSA will likely conclude that your condition is not as serious as you have asserted.
• Don’t assume that you can’t afford to hire an attorney to help you with your claim. You’ll never owe our disability lawyers a fee unless we are successful in obtaining benefits for you. Due to the lengthy, complicated process of applying for disability, having an experienced attorney fighting for you throughout your case can mean all the difference between approval for benefits and the denial of your claim. Regardless of your current financial situation, we can help you: contact our firm today.

What Should I Do After Getting Injured on the Job?

Question: I've just been injured on the job. What should I do now?

Answer: It is extremely important to report your injury to your supervisor or employer immediately. Be sure to include the date, time, and circumstances of your injury. As long as you were not doing anything illegal, your injury will likely be covered by workers’ compensation, so do not hesitate to report it – even if you feel it may be your fault.

If you develop a job-related health condition that manifests over time (such as mesothelioma or a repetitive stress injury like carpal tunnel syndrome), you should report the condition as soon as you receive a diagnosis and you learn that the condition is related to your employment.

After you report your injury, you may want to consider hiring a workers’ compensation attorney to help you with you claim. Serious work-related injuries or illnesses and the litigation process are all situations that generally require legal representation. If you have been injured, contracted a work-related illness, or believe that you have been treated unfairly, contact an attorney today.