Listing of Impairments
If you have a physical or mental health challenge, you may be exploring Social Security disability and whether it’s an option for you. Social Security disability income can be a welcome relief if you’re unable to work, and you qualify for benefits. If you’re investigating whether you qualify, you may have heard of the Listing of Impairments, which are an important part of the qualification process for Social Security Disability benefits.
What is the Social Security Administration’s Listing of Impairments?
The Listing of Impairments is a list of physical and mental ailments. The conditions on the list qualify for disability benefits due to their severity. If you have a physical or mental health condition that matches one of the impairments listed in the Social Security Administration’s Listing of Impairments, you likely meet the conditions for approval of disability benefits. The published guide helps disability examiners quickly identify applicants who qualify for Social Security disability benefits.
Do I Need a Social Security Disability Attorney to Help Me Evaluate the Listings?
When you work with an experienced Social Security disability attorney at Lawrence & Associates Accident and Injury Lawyers, LLC to evaluate disability qualifications and the listings, their training and experience offer the resources and the perspective that you need in order to properly assess your claim. Through detailed training and years of experience, the Social Security disability attorneys at Lawrence & Associates Accident and Injury Lawyers, LLC can help you explore all the ways that you might qualify for disability benefits based on the listings and on residual functional capacity. They can provide you with critical information that will help you determine how to best go about making your application.
If you’re unable to work because of a disability, having a Social Security disability attorney working on your behalf can help you get the benefits that you need as quickly as possible. They can help determine what medical documentation you’ll need in order to prove you have one of the conditions on the Listing of Impairments. An experienced disability attorney will help you understand what questions the claims examiner will ask and can build a strong application that has the best chance of approval the first time you submit it for consideration. If you need disability payments, contact our attorneys at Lawrence & Associates Accident and Injury Lawyers, LLC at (513) 351-5997 for an evaluation of your claim.
Why Choose Lawrence & Associates Accident and Injury Lawyers, LLC to Handle My Case?
At Lawrence & Associates Accident and Injury Lawyers, LLC, our experienced team of attorneys are dedicated to helping our clients get compensation for their Social Security disability claims. We have a reputation for customer service that the other Cincinnati firms can’t match. When you are injured or disabled, you need aggressive representation, and that’s what we do best. We have a number of convenient locations in the Greater Cincinnati area, and we offer free consultations of your case. You won’t pay anything to us unless your claim is approved.
Using the Listing of Impairments to Examine Eligibility
When a person believes that they are unable to work, they can use the listing to determine whether they qualify for disability payments. The Social Security Administration created the list of conditions in order to predetermine standards where disability qualification is automatic. According to the Social Security Administration, when a person has an impairment that meets the criteria, it’s “usually sufficient to establish that an individual who is not working is disabled.” The Social Security Administration places ailments on the list that they believe are severe enough to cause severe functional limitations and prevent meaningful employment.
When you examine the list, it’s important to remember that most of the conditions have severity requirements. Even if you have a qualifying condition, the condition must be sufficiently severe in order to qualify. There are also duration requirements; a qualifying condition must be expected to last 12 months or longer or result in death.
What Conditions Automatically Qualify for Disability?
The Social Security Administration’s Listing of Impairments is categorized according to systems of the body. Some of the conditions that automatically qualify for disability are:
- Musculoskeletal System — herniated discs, degenerative disc diseases
- Special Senses and Speech — hearing loss, vision loss, blindness
- Respiratory Disorders — asthma, lung infections, other diseases that prevent normal breathing
- Cardiovascular System — high blood pressure, blood clots, other blood disorders, heart failure
- Digestive System — hepatitis, Crohn’s disease
- Genitourinary Disorders — kidney diseases, urinary problems, renal disease, health problems that require dialysis
- Hematological Disorders — anemia, sickle cell disease, blood issues
- Skin Disorders — cellulitis, hidradenitis suppurativa
- Endocrine Disorders — thyroid abnormalities, obesity
- Congenital Disorders that Affect Multiple Body Systems — Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, fetal alcohol syndrome
- Neurological Disorders — cerebral palsy, epilepsy, traumatic brain injury
- Mental Disorders — post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety
- Malignant Neoplastic Diseases — cancer
- Immune System Disorders — HIV, AIDS, lupus
The Listing of Impairments offers details for each condition that clarifies what makes a condition severe enough to automatically qualify for disability benefits. For example, dermatitis is a listed condition, and to qualify, you must have “extensive skin legions” for three months or more, and your skin must be nonresponsive to treatment.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Listing of Impairments
Navigating the SSA’s list of impairments can be challenging, which is why our team is here to help people just like you understand the qualifications and the application process. Turn to us for help by calling (513) 351-5997 and read a few of our FAQs below:
Contact Lawrence & Associates Accident and Injury Lawyers, LLC for Help with Your Disability Claim
At Lawrence & Associates Accident and Injury Lawyers, LLC, our experienced disability attorneys can help you prepare your Social Security disability application based on the impairment listings or based on other qualifying impairments. Our team can help you understand the Listing of Impairments and document the appropriate medical evidence. A Social Security disability application can be time-consuming. We’ll help you streamline the application process and avoid application errors that can cause delays or result in an initial rejection.
If you’ve already received a rejection from a claims examiner, our team can help you appeal the decision. We have numerous offices in the Greater Cincinnati area to serve you. Call us at (513) 351-5997 or use our live chat feature to schedule a free evaluation of your case today.
