If a person in the Houston area is unable to work due to an injury, he or she may qualify for Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits to help replace some of the lost wages. This is true regardless of whether the person’s injury occurred while at work or at any other place and time. But just having an injury is not, by itself, enough for a person to meet the federal requirements for receiving SSD benefits for an injury.
People who are seeking SSD benefits must show their inability to work and that their injury qualifies under the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) guidelines. So what kind of evidence can an applicant present to meet these requirements and get approved for benefits?
Probably the most important evidence for an SSD benefits claim is documentation from doctors or other medical professionals. The SSA defines the sources of medical information that it deems as acceptable for this purpose. Some of those sources include licensed physicians, licensed or certified psychologists and licensed podiatrists.
In addition to records from doctors and hospitals, the SSD applicant may want to provide other evidence that helps to explain the extent of that person’s injury. For example, information from employers can help show the SSA that the applicant’s injuries prevent the employee from carrying out his or her job functions.
If the SSA does not have enough medical and other evidence to make a determination on benefits, it may seek out additional information from the various available sources. However, applicants should not count on the SSA doing the leg work for any application for them. The applicant should take the responsibility of getting as much evidence of his or her injury as possible and providing it to the SSA.
Wading through SSD applications and understanding benefits’ requirements can be a daunting task. Anyone in the Houston area who needs more information or help with any step of the process may wish to consider contacting an experienced Social Security attorney.
Source: SSA.gov, “Disability Evaluation Under Social Security,” Accessed on Sept. 18, 2015