You’ve filed for Social Security Disability (or SSI) because you’re unable to work due to an injury or illness. Great job! But now what can you do to set yourself up of the best possible chance of success?
Here are four things to do for anyone who has filed a social security disability claim.
Keep Going to the Doctor
It’s incredibly important that you continue to go to all scheduled medical appointments. If the Social Security Administration determines that you aren’t going to regularly scheduled appointments, while they’re evaluating your disability claim, they may decide against your claim on the basis that IF you did go to the doctor your impairments would be manageable. And thus, you would be able to seek, obtain, and maintain employment (or other substantial gainful activity).
Going to appointments can be difficult, depending on your conditions. If you find it difficult to maintain a schedule of medical appointments you should make sure to note this. Better, even than keeping personal records on this though, is retaining an advocate and making sure they know how difficult it is for you to attend your medical appointments. They may be able to secure some accommodations and/or they may be able to communicate your challenges effectively to the Social Security Administration.
Maintain Good Records of Any and All Hospital Visits
In a perfect world, everyone who needs access (and has permission to access) your medical records, would do so prior to making a decision that impacts you. However, it’s not a perfect world, and one of the most common goofs on disability claim decisions occurs when the adjudicator makes a decision without all the evidence they should have. Sometimes, a big piece of the pie is tracking down what SSA knew, and what they should have known.
Of course, this isn’t the only reason to keep records of visits. It’s good practice to do so even if everyone is on the same page because you never know when someone might lose a record, claim to have never received it, or claim that you didn’t go to that medical appointment in the first place.
Keeping good records can be as easy as making sure everything goes into a specific folder or box. Just don’t throw them away!
Keep Track of Challenges you Have During the Day
At some point, someone is going to want to know what kind of impact your impairments have on your everyday life. You can sit there across from a judge, or in front of a doctor and try to recall ALL the ways in which you’re affected, or you can rely on the notes you’ve taken in preparation for that question.
This means, take notes. Keep a journal. Take pictures, if that’s easier. Keep a video diary. Just document your challenges in some way.
This one action helps eliminate the ambiguous understanding (on the part of the SSA) that Social Security Disability claims denials often spring forth from.
Consider Discussing your Claim with an Excellent & Local Social Security Disability Lawyer
It’s never really too early to start a discussion with an excellent local Social Security Disability Lawyer. There are several reasons you’d want to do this.
#1) An experienced Social Security Disability Lawyer can give you advice from having gone through this process >1000 times. This is probably your first time through the process. If you can get any direct advice or even support, it’s worth your time to reach out for it!
#2) If your claim is denied (it happens far too often) – you have a short turn-around to file an appeal. Being able to bring in a disability attorney that has already heard the merits of your claim, provided input on them, and that you have a pre-existing relationship with – will help to reduce your stress at a very difficult point.
#3) It’s free.
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