Understanding the Disability Evaluation Process
The system used to evaluate and identify the disabilities that qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income is not perfect. However, it is important to know how it works in order to file a successful SSDI or SSI claim. At the Louisiana law offices of McBride & Collier, we know how the Social Security Administration evaluates disabilities, and we are dedicated to making the process of obtaining benefits as easy as possible for our clients.
Securing Your Future
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Most initial claims for Social Security disability benefits are denied. However, if you take the time to understand how the disability evaluation process works, you can avoid common pitfalls made by other claimants. Our lawyers can help you prepare your answers for the five basic questions of the Social Security disability application:
- Are you working? You have to have been unable to work or be expected to be unable to work for a minimum of twelve months in order to obtain benefits.
- Is your condition severe? Conditions that can be controlled by medication may be considered severe, but not disabling. The ALJ must however consider all of your medically determined impairments in the decision-making process.
- Is your condition a listed impairment? Does your impairment demonstrate or exhibit all of the clinical and diagnostic findings that match the 14 categories of impairment that the Social Security Administration considers automatically disabling?
- Can you do the work you did previously? With your limitations can you perform the physical and mental demands of work you have done in the previous 15 years?
- Can you do any other type of work? If you are unable to perform the tasks of your old job, the ALJ must establish that with your limitations there are jobs in significant numbers in the regional and national economy you can perform.
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With offices in Shreveport, Monroe and Alexandria, our attorneys help claimants across Louisiana file their initial applications for disability benefits. We will take charge of securing the medical records and documentation you need to obtain the benefits you deserve. Contact us today for a free initial consultation and find our more about how you can prepare for the disability evaluation process.
