Personal Injury Attorneys: Getting What You Deserve

3 Reasons Why Your Medical Documentation Isn't Good Enough For SSDI

10 June 2020

Laurie Flores

You can try to get Social Security Disability (SSDI) benefits on your own, but keep in mind that this is often difficult. Working with a legal professional who has experience in Social Security Disability law is the wiser move because of all the potential hurdles involved.

A Social Security Disability lawyer will help you throughout the process, including the preparation for your case evaluation by a Disability Determination Service (DDS). It's the DDS staff who usually determine whether a person is disabled. To do so, they need proper evidence from your treating physician.

Sometimes, the DDS gives your doctor's medical opinion little weight, hurting your chances of receiving benefit approval. Learn more about why this happens so you can avoid a similar scenario with the help of your Social Security lawyer.

You Have Not Seen a Doctor in Over Six Months

You have to document your current medical condition to qualify for benefits, and it is your medical records that accomplish this. To receive benefit approval, you must undergo regular medical treatment for your condition. So, if you only saw a doctor a few times or just for a brief period of time, you are more likely to be denied.

It's your past medical records that help establish the existence of your condition over the long term. These records also come into play for any applicable back pay calculation if you're approved.

Your Doctor Did Not Provide Objective Evidence

The person examining your disability case will need objective medical evidence of your impairment. This means your application has to be supported by lab or clinical tests that are widely accepted in the medical community.

Medical results from lab tests, x-rays, CAT scans, and MRIs or mental health evaluations from a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist should be in your file. For physical impairments, your Social Security Disability lawyer will usually need objective medical evidence, such as an x-ray, to help ensure your application is approved.

There Is No Explanation for Your Limitations

Your doctor must include a good explanation for why you have certain limitations in addition to providing the DDS with current and objective medical evidence. If you cannot bend because you have severe arthritis, for example, your physician should state this and not simply that you "can't work." Without an explanation, the person assigned to your case is likely to reject your application.

Applying for SSDI can be a difficult, long road. Work with an attorney experienced in Social Security Disability law so you have all of the documentation you need to prove eligibility for benefits right when you apply.

For more information, reach out to a Social Security Disability lawyer near you. 

Share  

Search