- How Does a Lawyer Help With SSD Benefits for Back Problems?
- Proving Your Back Problems Are Disabling
- Our Steubenville Lawyers Explore Benefits You Could Receive for Back Issues
- The Steps of Your Back Problem SSD Claim
- Talk to Our Steubenville Back Problems Lawyer Now – We’re Ready to Help With Your SSD Benefits Claim
Injuries or diseases affecting your back can bring your daily life to a halt, restricting your activities and reducing your independence. In some cases, interference with your daily routine can qualify you for Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits.
If you are struggling with pain or injury in Steubenville, Ohio, our back problems lawyers can help you on the path to SSD benefits, following it to the end with you. From filing your application to representing you at a hearing, Berger and Green is there for you. You can start with a free consultation.
How Does a Lawyer Help With SSD Benefits for Back Problems?
Our Steubenville Social Security Disability lawyer can fill several roles while seeking benefits. We can serve as your:
- Information resource: We can explain the ins and outs of the claims process, including its steps and how to start.
- Translator: Our lawyers can simplify the complex legal language used in SSD claims, helping you avoid errors.
- Logistical support: We can file your application, ensure it goes to the right place at the right time, and verify that the Social Security Administration (SSA) has access to any necessary records.
- Advocate: If the SSA denies your claim, we can get to work on an appeal, filing before the deadline, gathering evidence, and representing you in hearings.
We Will Work to Ease Your Worries
If you’re hesitating to contact a back pain attorney because of financial concerns, let us put you at ease—we don’t charge anything until we resolve your case and you receive your benefits.
You can also bring us any other concerns. At Berger and Green, we believe our clients should always remain aware of their case’s status, so we have a policy of remaining accessible via phone or email at any time.
We Answer Questions About Eligibility
Our free consultation means there is no harm in asking if your back injury entitles you to SSD benefits. While the definition of disability used for SSD is strict, we can explain it to you in accessible language and discuss how your back or spinal injury fits.
Put simply, the Social Security Administration (SSA) generally defines disability as a condition that:
- Prevents you from working or engaging in a substantial gainful activity (SGA)
- Prevents you from returning to a previous job or transitioning to a different job
- Has lasted or will last for a year or ultimately cause death
In other words, if your back injury is so severe that it keeps you from working long-term, you could qualify for SSD benefits. If that sounds like your situation, our next step is to check if the SSA considers your specific back condition a disability.
40+ years of experience from strong, knowledgeable, compassionate attorneys.
Start A Free EvaluationProving Your Back Problems Are Disabling
According to the SSA’s Blue Book of conditions that could qualify for benefits, some potentially eligible back injuries are:
- Lumbar spinal stenosis
- Herniated discs
- Nerve root compression
- Degenerative disc disease
- Fractures of the vertebrae
- Arthritis affecting the back
Our Steubenville back problems attorneys can review the list of conditions with you.
Other Back and Spine Conditions Could Qualify
You can still qualify if the Blue Book doesn’t list your specific condition. After all, SSD claims are not just concerned with the condition itself but with its severity. The SSA will decide if your issue qualifies as severe enough to interfere with your ability to work by reviewing the documentation and evidence you submit.
We know you’re hurting. We can help. Free case evaluations, home and hospital visits.
Contact Us Now For HelpOur Steubenville Lawyers Explore Benefits You Could Receive for Back Issues
Knowing if your condition qualifies is just part of the process. You also need to know which form of benefits you should receive for a qualifying condition.
The two benefit programs available through SSD are:
SSDI functions like any other insurance —you receive benefits if you have “paid into” it through your work. You are generally eligible if you have a minimum of 20 credits, the equivalent of about five years of work. If you have questions about how your work history applies, our attorneys can explain more.
SSI is not based on your work but on your income and resources. Pursuing benefits from this program can require understanding what income and assets count. We can help you understand how this applies to your case.
You need an attorney with the experience and dedication to give your case the care it deserves.
Start A Free EvaluationThe Steps of Your Back Problem SSD Claim
At Berger and Green, we don’t want you to feel unprepared for pursuing SSDI or SSI benefits. When you come to us for your free consultation, we walk you through everything, including the stages of filing a claim:
- Preparation and submission of your application(s)
- Review by SSA
- Submission of additional documentation if requested
- Processing by SSA
- Submission by SSA to Ohio’s Disability Determination Services office
- Review and decision by the Ohio office
How long this takes varies based on the details of your case. According to the SSA, the initial decision usually takes about three to six months.
Don’t Give Up After a Claim Denial
Having your claim denied is not an uncommon experience. The SSA’s Annual Statistical Report on the Social Security Disability Insurance Program for 2020 found that an average of 67 percent of disability claims received denials.
A claim denial is not necessarily the last word in your case. We can take action to pursue an appeal, identifying the reason for the denial and gathering the necessary evidence to argue in your favor. We can then represent you in a hearing, we help prepare you to ease the stress of dealing with an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ).
Our Back Pain SSD Attorneys Know the SSD Benefits Claim Process
We know this is new and overwhelming for you, but our lawyers have served people with disabling conditions for over 40 years. You can hear this directly from them through our reviews:
- “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.”
We can address all the legal hurdles that may be keeping you from getting a fair settlement.
Speak To An Attorney TodayTalk to Our Steubenville Back Problems Lawyer Now – We’re Ready to Help With Your SSD Benefits Claim
Has your back condition left you unsure about your future? Reach out to Berger and Green today for a free consultation about pursuing disability benefits. Our back pain attorneys serving Steubenville, Ohio, can work to eliminate uncertainty and help you move forward. Ask us about eligibility, filing, and appeals today.
