If you are unable to work because of a physical or mental disability, you might be thinking about applying for Social Security Disability Insurance, or about how to appeal a recent denial.
Either way, you will need to know what evidence you may need to gather to handle your SSDI claim properly.
Work Evidence
You will have to have enough work credits to qualify for Social Security Disability. The evidence of that is straightforward and available in your record, so you shouldn’t have to do a lot to pull that together.
However, you will have to prove you can no longer do the type of work you used to do as a direct result of your injury or illness, and that you are not able to shift to a different type of work because of your condition. This means you will need to provide comprehensive information about your work history and what you did physically in your jobs.
Medical Evidence
This is the lynchpin of your disability claim. You will have to prove that your impairment is severe enough to keep you from performing your current or prior jobs.
Valid medical evidence can come from the following sources:
- Treating physicians: The Social Security Administration reports that it places particular weight on medical evidence and records from treating professionals, because they are likely to be the closest to you and most knowledgeable of your condition.
- Health facilities: If you were treated at a hospital or clinic for your condition, the physicians or medical professionals there can make statements about your disability.
- Medical reports: Your medical history, clinical findings, lab test results, treatments, prognoses, and diagnoses are all part of the evidence that can help you qualify for the disability benefits you need and deserve.
- Consultative exam: If there are questions or doubts regarding your application, you could be asked to do a consultative examination (usually with your treating physician or health care professional) to add clarification to your application or appeal.
- Evidence of symptoms: You will also have to provide evidence of how your medical condition and its symptoms have disabled you, and made you unable to continue working. You can prove this with:
- Descriptions of your daily activities
- Location, duration, frequency, and intensity of pain or other symptoms
- Precipitating and aggravating factors
- Type, dosage, effectiveness and side effects of medication
- Treatments and other medications for pain relief
- Description of what you do to cope with pain or other symptoms
- Any other proof of how your condition limits you
If you are preparing to apply for Social Security Disability Insurance or to appeal a recent denial, contact the experienced legal team at George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers. We can help you navigate the process, and assist you in making your application or appeal as strong as possible so you can get the benefits you need and deserve.