Follansbee
Personality Disorder Disability Lawyer

On This Page

1. How does a Follansbee, WV, Disability Lawyer Help with a Personality Disorder Claim?
2. What Are the Criteria for a Personality Disorder Disability Claim?
3. How Can Our Follansbee, WV, Attorney Help You Prove a Personality Disorder Is a Disability?
4. Don’t Wait to Apply for SSD Benefits for a Personality Disorder in Follansbee, WV – Our Lawyers Can Help

REVIEWED BY

C. William Kenny

November 11, 2023

Board certified by National Board of Trial Advocacy

Personality disorders can have a range of symptoms, including paranoia and emotional instability, that can make it impossible for someone to hold a steady job. The Social Security Administration (SSA) recognizes this challenge, so it can consider applicants with this disorder to have a disability and approve benefits for them while they cannot work.

If you or a loved one are in this position, unable to work for 12 months or longer, Berger and Green’s Follansbee Social Security Disability Lawyer, can review your eligibility for Social Security Disability benefits. Too often, people think benefits only cover physical disabilities, but they also cover mental health disorders. Our Follansbee personality disorder disability lawyers can help you file a disability claim. You can start with a free consultation with our team.

How does a Follansbee, WV, Disability Lawyer Help with a Personality Disorder Claim?

Filing an application for Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits doesn’t sound like a legal matter, but our disability benefits attorneys often work with people filing a claim. This is to ensure you know your rights, have all the information you need to file, and know your options when applying for benefits or appealing a claim denial.

Berger and Green can help if you were recently diagnosed with a personality disorder or if you’ve already received a claim denial from the Social Security Administration (SSA). If we take on your case, we will serve as your resource, sounding board, and legal representation.

We Prepare You for the SSD Application Process

Our disability attorneys can help you with all the following:

• Understanding legal and government wording
• Knowing what evidence to include in your application
• Making records available to the SSA to prove your disability
• Filing the application correctly
• Finding solutions if your condition worsens

Fundamentally, our Follansbee Social Security Disability lawyers help ensure your application is complete and that you meet any deadlines or requests for information from the SSA.

We don’t Stop at a Claim Denial

An estimated 67 percent of initial applications are denied, according to the SSA’s 2020 Annual Statistical Report on the Social Security Disability Insurance Program. The reasons can range from technical denials for insufficient work credits to medical denials for failing to prove your personality disorder is disabling.

Because denials are so common, we have been through the appeals process before and know how to get claims through the disability process. Our attorneys have years of litigation experience and stand up for our clients at their hearing before and Administrative Law Judge.

We Identify Opportunities for Additional Pay

In some cases, you can receive back pay or retroactive benefits if you are awarded benefits. Back pay provides benefits from when you applied to when your application was approved. By contrast, retroactive pay is for the period between when you were considered disabled and when you applied for benefits.

Our Follansbee disability benefits attorneys can determine if you may be owed one or both forms of pay and help you claim them.

We Have a History With SSD Cases

The team at Berger and Green has assisted Social Security Disability applicants for more than 40 years. In that time, we have built up knowledge and strategies that we learned from representing cases like yours. You can even check with our previous clients through their reviews and testimonials:

• “From the very first phone call, they helped me through every question that I was asked.”
• “They were just very compassionate and understanding, and they let me speak. They let me explain what was going on. They took the time, they took the effort, and it was just a phenomenal experience.”

What Are the Criteria for a Personality Disorder Disability Claim?

The starting point for determining if you’re disabled is to look at your symptoms’ effect on your life:

• Will your personality disorder negatively affect your work for at least a year?
• Are you unable to return to a job you used to do or one that you have transferable skills for?
• Does your income reflect that you aren’t engaging in any substantial gainful activity?

If you answered yes and have a personality disorder, you may be eligible for benefits.

The Mayo Clinic highlights the many types of personality disorders. Examples include paranoid personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.

If You Can’t Work

The next set of criteria is to determine which form of benefits you should apply for. The first is Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). Much like other forms of insurance, you receive benefits if you have paid into the program. In this case, you pay into SSDI by working, so we go over your recent work credits to see if you paid in enough.

If you are considered disabled, and your income is under the eligibility limit, you could receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Unlike SSDI, you don’t have to earn work credits to get SSI. We can go over your revenue sources and assets to determine which ones count toward the income limit.

How Can Our Follansbee, WV, Attorney Help You Prove a Personality Disorder Is a Disability?

You can’t just meet the requirements—you must prove them. The SSA’s Blue Book includes what you need, but since SSA documentation is sometimes hard to understand, we can walk you through how to prove a disability case if you have a mental disorder.

First, you need medical evidence that shows you have a pattern of issues like:

• A distrust and suspiciousness of other people
• Unstable interpersonal relationships
• An excessive need to have someone take care of you
• Recurring, impulsive, aggressive behavioral outbursts

The pattern of behaviors you experience will depend on the personality disorder you have.

Second, you need medical evidence of limitations, such as in understanding, remembering, or applying information or in adapting or managing yourself. It is vital for your claim that you are receiving treatment for your personality disorder.

For Your Application

Berger and Green’s personality disorder disability lawyers provide personalized support, so we go over the specific evidence you need for your Follansbee application. That being said, common proof includes:

• Records of your diagnosis
• Treatment notes from your doctor
• Prescription medications for your disorder
• Office visits or hospital stays
• Employment records
• Banking and income records

For Your Appeal

If your claim is denied by the SSA, they will include a reason, so we can begin by addressing that. That could mean submitting simple corrections or a lot of extra evidence; it depends on the case. Whatever the reason, we can create a plan to handle your appeal. It is important that you understand the majority of claims are denied.  At Berger and Green we encourage you to reach out to our lawyers if your claim is denied.

Don’t Wait to Apply for SSD Benefits for a Personality Disorder in Follansbee, WV – Our Lawyers Can Help

Your personality disorder doesn’t have to upend your life for you to apply. In fact, our Follansbee personality disorder disability lawyers encourage you to get on top of the situation before you reach that point.

Contact our firm today to learn more with your free SSD consultation. We are ready to review your situation and advise you of your options and next steps.