People in Houston who have experienced a debilitating injury know that it can affect virtually every aspect of daily life. For example, the injury might mean that the person is unable to work at their current job and to provide for themselves and their family.
In this difficult situation, the injured person may have some private insurance or benefits through their workplace that can help with lost wages and medical expenses. However, those benefits — if they are even available — generally only help the injured person in the short term.
When an injured person needs longer term help because they are unable to work, they may be eligible to receive benefits from the Social Security Disability Insurance system. But even when a person applies for SSD benefits for an injury, the Social Security Administration (SSA) might deny the claim.
The SSA has a number of reasons why it might deny a claim at the initial application stage. One common reason for denied claims is that the claimant’s disability is not expected to last for at least 12 months. In addition, if the applicant fails to provide the necessary medical reports and other documentation regarding their injury, the SSA will likely deny the claim. Finally, the SSA denies claims if the claimant does not abide by the treatment plan that their doctor prescribed.
Just because the SSA initially denies an injured person’s claim does not mean that the person has no recourse and can never get benefits. A claimant can appeal the initial decision through a request for reconsideration. At this stage, the applicant has an opportunity to correct mistakes in their application and provide additional evidence in support of their claim. For example, they may want to submit additional medical reports detailing their medical history, the doctor’s diagnosis and other pertinent information.
When a person applies for SSD following an accident injury, they should understand all of the federal requirements for getting benefits. But even if the injured person gets an initial denial, they should not be dissuaded from continuing to push their application forward.