Resources

Ocala Social Security disability lawyers are familiar with Social Security disability claims involving common digestive impairments such as abdominal distress, diarrhea and fecal incontinence. Some of these digestive impairments, such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, are generally known as Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD). Social Security Disability Claims and IBDs IBDs present any number of symptoms such as diarrhea, fecal incontinence, rectal bleeding, abdominal pain, vomiting or arthralgia, that often cause you to spend a lot of time away from your workstation during the course of your normal workday. These conditions often result in a great deal of time spent in the restroom and it is unpredictable as to when those conditions will present themselves. You may also suffer from…Read More

Family members, friends, former co-workers, or neighbors may be able to help you qualify for Social Security disability benefits by testifying at your hearing. The Social Security Administration acknowledges that the observations of people who know you can help the ALJ understand how a medical impairment affects your ability to work. There are a number of topics that such a lay witness can testify about at your hearing.  Previously, we mentioned these three: your RFC; the onset date of your disability; your past relevant work. Here are four more: Mental Impairments If you have a mental impairment, such as depression or bi-polar disorder, lay witness testimony can be important in describing your daily activities, ability to function socially, attentiveness, perseverance…Read More

The knowledge and experience of an Ocala Social Security disability lawyer is invaluable when arranging for testimony from lay witnesses regarding your impairments. Your Ocala disability lawyer should discuss with you who you believe would be the best witnesses on your behalf. Your lawyer will then contact these potential witnesses to discuss their observations and select only the best one or two witnesses (in unusual cases more may be necessary). Each witness will be provided with information about the hearing and the general type of testimony expected of him or her. Your disability lawyer will also send each lay witness a letter notifying the witness of the date, time and place of the hearing. As part of the preparation process,…Read More

Your Ocala Social Security lawyer may ask your family members, friends, former co-workers or neighbors to testify at your Social Security disability hearing.  These people are called lay witnesses, to distinguish them from expert witnesses, like a doctor or vocational expert. Your Ocala Social Security disability lawyer will get your thoughts on who might be good lay witnesses for your case.  Then your lawyer will talk to these people to see if they are willing to testify and will make good witnesses. Social Security rulings recognize that ALJ’s should consider lay witness testimony. In evaluating lay witness testimony, ALJs are to “consider such factors as the nature and extent of the relationship, whether the evidence is consistent with other evidence,…Read More

If you have a mental impairment, you will probably need to convince the ALJ at your disability hearing that you are not able to perform the mental activities that are generally required for unskilled work. If you still have these abilities, you will probably not qualify for disability benefits. Your Ocala disability attorney or the administrative law judge will need to ask you some questions to help the judge fully understand how restricted your ability to work is due to your mental impairments. The questions will be designed to determine whether you have the following skills and abilities that are required for all paid unskilled jobs.  1.   Responding appropriately to supervision, co-workers, and work pressures in a work setting.…Read More

An experienced Ocala disability attorney can help you wade through the multitude Social Security Administration requirements that must be met before qualifying for disability benefits. One of the most significant requirements that most claimants must meet before qualifying for benefits is proving they are no longer able to perform past relevant work due to their impairment or disability. The Social Security Administration uses specific set of five sequential steps when evaluating your disability benefits eligibility. Under Step 4, you must prove that you cannot perform your past relevant work duties before you qualify to receive benefits. Proving the inability to perform past relevant work is a difficult challenge for many claimants. Defining Past Relevant Work The Social Security Administration has…Read More

Your Ocala disability lawyer is aware that many of the Social Security Administration's rules regarding your ability to perform past relevant work can be perceived as skewed toward disqualifying you from receiving benefits. If you can perform your past relevant work, the SSA will find that you are not disabled, unless your medical records show that your impairment meets or equals a Listed Impairment. Most claimants do not qualify for benefits on the basis of their medical records alone and will need to prove they can no longer perform their past relevant work. Examining Past Relevant Work The Social Security Administration’s position is that if you are capable of carrying out the duties of a past relevant job, then you…Read More

When you meet with your Ocala disability lawyer, you will learn that obesity is a medically determinable impairment and the Social Security Administration must consider it when determining your residual functional capacity (RFC). Obesity and Your RFC Your RFC is the work you can still complete despite your disability or impairment. Obesity can affect your residual functional capacity in many ways. Obesity may limit your ability to perform the seven physical demands of work which are: Sitting. Standing. Walking. Lifting. Carrying. Pushing. Pulling. In addition, obesity may limit the manipulative motor skills or postural functions of your work including: Reaching. Handling. Stooping. Crouching. Climbing stairs, step stools or ladders. Obesity can also necessitate environmental limitations such as avoiding extreme heat…Read More

If obesity is a factor in your Social Security disability claim, an experienced Ocala disability attorney can help explain the Social Security Administration's requirements regarding Body Mass Index (BMI) and following prescribed treatments. About Your BMI Obesity is commonly evaluated using the BMI. The BMI gives you a body fat measurement based on both your height and weight. The formula to calculate your BMI is weight in pounds divided by your height in squared inches. That number is then multiplied by 704.5. For example, if you weighed 145 pounds and were 60 inches tall, your BMI calculations are 145/602 x 704.5 = 28.375 or 28.38. According to the National Institutes of Health, if you have a BMI of 25 to…Read More

At your initial interview with an Ocala disability attorney, he or she will use this time to give you a brief education on disability law. Unlike other types of law that use a straightforward or proven approach, the Social Security Administration uses a hypothetical or theoretical approach to disability cases. Capable versus Hirable For the Social Security Administration, disability cases do not focus on whether you are able to secure employment but instead, whether you are capable of performing the tasks necessary to do a job. In other words, your case isn't based on whether or not a potential employer finds you hirable, it is based on whether or not you are capable of performing the job duties if you…Read More