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More on Compassionate Allowances and Quick Determinations
On October 13, 2010, SSA announced new rules effective on November 12, 2010 that will allow SSA personnel to fast track disability claims. Now there are two programs that will allow SSA personnel to...
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Discover How Disabled Veterans Can Optimize Social Security Disability Benefits
Joel Ban Attorney Joel Ban, a Utah lawyer who handles both Social Security disability and Veterans Disability claims recently posted a concise and informative article on his blog describing the...
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What To Do if your Doctor is Not Cooperative
If you haven’t already noticed, physicians are working harder for less money. I expect this trend to continue, especially with the government getting more involved in setting prices for services. In...
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Multiple Sclerosis Patient Seeks Strategy to Win SSDI Case Early
Here is a question I received from a multiple sclerosis patient who is preparing to apply for Social Security disability and is hoping to win her case early. Jonathan, First, I want to thank you for...
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Understanding the Social Security Disability “System”
My colleague, San Francisco California Social Security disability attorney Geri Kahn, publishes an interesting and thoughtful Social Security disability blog that I read regularly. This past April,...
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Appeals Court Awards Claimant 30 Years Worth of Past Due Benefits
A federal circuit court of appeals has awarded a widow 30 years worth of past due benefits on her late husband’s claim. The case involved the claim of Dr. Richard Frusher, a Rhode Island resident who...
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Use a Cane? Get a Prescription
This year, I have represented three clients who use a cane either all of the time or most of the time but whose use of this assistive device was discounted by the judge because the cane was not...
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SSDI Claimants Can Expect to be Asked About Unemployment Benefits
Over the past several months, I have noted that my SSDI clients are regularly being asked by judges if they have filed for unemployment benefits. This question used to come up occasionally in the...
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Will I Win my Case? I have been Waiting a Long Time and I am Scared
Every month, I receive requests for my opinion from concerned and anxious disability applicants about whether a case is good enough to win. Usually a hearing has been scheduled and the claimant is...
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How do I Win for a Medical Condition that Cannot be Seen on a Diagnostic Test
I get a lot of questions about fibromyalgia and other medical conditions that rely on subjective reporting by patients. These cases are definitely getting more difficult to win. Here is a question...
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Obesity and SSDI
The American Medical Association recently released a report 1 officially recognizing obesity as a disease. With one in three Americans falling in the obese or super-obese BMI spectrum, the AMA hopes...
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Functional Capacity Evaluations: Helpful or Hurtful?
Here is a question I received from a blog reader: I have been told I should qualify for disability because of my permanent restrictions set by my FCE. I was put in a light category. What do you think?...
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How to Testify Credibly About Sexual, Emotional or Physical Abuse in a Social...
One of the more troubling parts about practicing Social Security disability law involves hearing stories of how my clients suffered horrific abuse. I would estimate that at least 75% of my cases...
View ArticleFibromyalgia and Social Security Disability: Can You Still Win?
Social Security disability judges are increasingly reluctant to award benefits to fibromyalgia claimants unless these claims meet a certain profile. Let me tell you about this profile – what is...
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Hearing Strategies for Claimants with Multiple Medical Problems
Greg writes: “I have seen many if not all of your YouTube videos and have to say you probably are the best disability lawyer on there. My case is rather unusual in the sense that I do not have one...
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Part Time Work Before and After Your SSD Award
This month I received two questions via the Speakpipe app on my blog about outside earnings and Social Security disability. The first gentleman is applying for disability and wants to know how much he...
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Unconventional, Non-Medical Evidence That Can Help You Win
With approval rates on the decline at hearing offices throughout the country, disability lawyers and their clients have to find creative and compelling evidence to make their cases stand out. In my...
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Musculoskeletal Injuries: How Severely Impaired Must I Be?
Intentionally or not, the Social Security Administration has done a good job selling the idea that winning disability benefits is extremely hard. Bloggers (including me) write about the long delays...
View ArticleSocial Security Disability Claims for Applicants Under Age 50: is there Hope...
There is no question that Social Security has made it much more difficult to qualify for disability benefits. Statistically, hearing approval rates have dropped from 62% in 2010 to 45% in 2015,...
View ArticleWhy Irritable Bowel and Inflammatory Bowel Claims are Usually Approved by...
Over the last few months, I have represented ten different clients claiming disability based on irritable bowel or inflammatory bowel diseases and every one of these cases was approved. My experience...
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