Social Security Disability
There are certain factors that the Social Security Administration (SSA) must consider to determine whether you should be awarded Social Security disability benefits for your physical or mental impairment that prevents you from working. Your Ocala Social Security disability attorney will help you provide the necessary information the SSA is looking for in considering these factors. Limitations on Mobility One of the most important factors that affect the SSA’s disability determination is your limitation on mobility. The SSA examiner will look at various aspects of mobility and determine how they affect the claimant’s ability to be gainfully employed. - Need to walk around – may be a disabling limitation depending on the frequency and duration of the need to walk.…Read More
If the Social Security Administration (SSA) ordered a consultative examination as part of the evaluation process of your Social Security disability application, it is imperative that you hire an Ocala Social Security disability lawyer. Your lawyer will be most helpful if you are unhappy with the way the exam was conducted or if you do not agree with the report. When You Are Dissatisfied With the Way the Consultative Exam Was Conducted It is common for disability claimants to be dissatisfied with the way the doctor handled their consultative examination. This is because the doctors usually only spend a brief time conducting the examination. If you are not happy with your consultation examination, it is important to immediately notify both…Read More
As your Ocala disability lawyer will explain, part of the process in obtaining Social Security disability benefits includes submitting to a consultative examination. Many clients are apprehensive about undergoing an examination by a new or different physician, and this is understandable. If you are faced with the requirement to endure a consultative examination, there are a few key points to understand before getting started. Doctor selection The Social Security Administration (SSA) selects the doctor that will perform your consultative examination. The SSA enters into contracts with doctors and specialists to perform these tests and will try to choose a doctor as close to your area as possible. The doctor will have practice experience in the area of medicine pertaining to…Read More
Pain is the most common reason people seek medical care and frequently drives the need for Social Security disability benefits. An Ocala disability attorney can help you determine whether your pain is severe enough to qualify you for disability benefits. Pain can be disabling when it is constant or severe. But pain is a subjective symptom. Only the patient can measure their own pain. It doesn’t show up on medical tests and this makes it difficult to document. Measuring pain How do Social Security administrators approach measuring pain and whether it prevents a claimant from working? The agency first explores whether an underlying medically determinable impairment may be reasonably causing the pain. If so, you will need to describe the…Read More
In your Social Security disability claim, will your doctor’s opinion be controling? Your Ocala Social Security disability attorney will assess whether your physician’s views will have sufficient weight to uphold your claim. Three main factors determine the doctor’s authority. Well-supported opinion The treating doctor’s opinion must be well supported to be given merit. The supporting records include clinical and laboratory exams and diagnostic techniques. If the treating doctor’s opinion is medically well supported and consistent with other substantial evidence in the case record, it will be regarded as controlling. In such a case your doctor’s determination will be honored. A “treating source” Another important factor is that the clinician must indeed be your treating provider. You can’t shop around for…Read More
Clients often ask their Ocala Social Security disability lawyer how the Social Security Administration (SSA) assesses the ability to walk or ambulate. A reasonable measure of the ability to ambulate is whether someone can walk a block at a reasonable pace on an uneven surface. If that is doable, then the patient likely will not be viewed as disabled in their ambulation. Assistive Devices One of the regulations under the Social Security disability program mentions the use of a walker or two canes as indicative of the inability to walk independently. While that is true, note that some claimants are defined as disabled even if they do not use a cane or walker. Just because a person can manage to…Read More
If you recently applied for disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA), your Ocala disability lawyers will likely review with you the possibility of a consultative examination. A consultative examination is one performed by an SSA-approved physician for purposes of determining the depth and magnitude of your medical condition. The SSA has ultimate discretion to approve or deny benefits, but places great weight on the reports of the physician performing the consultative examination. Cost of the Exam The consultative examination is performed at no cost to the applicant. This is also true for the preparation of reports and charts remitted from the doctor to the SSA. The SSA makes an effort to schedule consultative examinations in close geographic proximity…Read More
When applying for Social Security disability benefits, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will want to know exactly how able-bodied you are and what levels of physical exertion you can handle. You and your Ocala disability lawyer will need to closely identify where your physical abilities fall on the spectrum of physical exertion levels for those afflicted with physical impairments. Social Security Administration classification Although you can use the same physical exertion levels laid out in the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT) for the purposes of SSA classification, those levels published in the DOT tend to change often. The details of classifications are frequently revised, and it would be best for your and your Ocala disability lawyer to revisit the most…Read More
If you or someone you know is experiencing great difficulty walking, it's time to get in touch with experienced Ocala disability lawyers who can assist you in seeking Social Security disability benefits to help provide support with this impairment. Musculoskeletal limitations If you are suffering from joint dysfunction or arthritis, and your ability to walk has become limited, your disability may qualify as a musculoskeletal disability. This type of disability is considered relatively extreme because it limits your ability to ambulate effectively – your Ocala disability lawyers will not have a difficult time proving why your disability necessitates financial assistance. Social Security Administration guidelines state that this type of impairment greatly interferes with your ability to live life freely, because…Read More
To the average person, Medical-Vocational Guidelines probably sound very complex and intimidating. But to an Ocala Social Security disability attorney, Medical-Vocational Guidelines are simply part of the everyday world of disability benefits. Why were Medical-Vocational Guidelines created? Medical-Vocational Guidelines were created by the Social Security Administration to determine the number of jobs that exist for those with residual functional capacity (RFC), depending on the person’s age, work experience, and education. In those cases where disability is difficult to determine, the Medical-Vocational Guidelines are used to establish the rules for assessing disability based upon the impact of the person’s education, work history, and age. Does age affect the Medical-Vocational Guidelines? Age does make a difference in determining your RFC. It is…Read More