When you’re applying for disability benefits, gathering the right evidence to thoroughly support your claim is one of the most important steps. The Social Security Administration (SSA) relies on medical and other documentation to determine whether you’re eligible for benefits, and the more comprehensive your evidence is, the better your chances of approval are.
At Kerr Robichaux & Carroll, we understand how daunting the disability application process can be, and we’re here to break down the key types of evidence you’ll need.
Diagnosis and Medical History
The SSA will need evidence confirming your diagnosis and outlining your medical history in your SSDI application. This includes the onset date (when your symptoms first appeared) and the progression of your condition (how your condition has worsened over time). This information is key to showing the SSA that your condition isn’t a temporary illness and that it has, or will, significantly impair your ability to work.
- Medical Records: The SSA will require recent evidence confirming when and how your diagnosis has left you unable to work and eligible for disability benefits. Records from right before your disability started onward can show how your condition directly affects your ability to work.
- Progression of the Condition: Medical records showing how your condition has worsened and illustrating continuing treatment are vital for the SSA to assess your claim. If your condition has deteriorated, this can help prove the long-term nature of your disability. If you have exhausted treatment options and there is not much else your care providers can do, it is still vital to attend routine appointments and get applicable testing or imaging to continue documenting your condition and efforts to treat it.
- Impact on Functioning: Records from your healthcare providers documenting how your condition limits your ability to perform work are essential medical evidence in your disability claim. This could consist of notes on physical limitations (e.g., difficulty standing, walking, or lifting), cognitive impairments (e.g., memory loss, difficulty concentrating), or other functional impairments.
As the disability claimant, it’s essential to keep a list of your medical providers related to your disability, record your appointment dates and what happened during each visit, and ensure that the SSA has the right contact information for your doctor’s office.
At the earlier stages of the process, SSA will obtain necessary medical records based on the information you or your attorney give them. Providing Social Security with correct contact information for your medical providers and having them do the requests ensures that the record is kept up to date. The SSA operates on its own timeline, and you and your attorney’s office may not always know when they intend to review the case or need updated records. Having the SSA pull records also keeps the file organized in the manner case analysts are used to reviewing claims and ensures there are not duplicate records complicating the file.
Be sure to keep your lawyer updated on any new changes to your case such as major surgeries, significant abnormal testing (like MRIs, cardiac tests, breathing tests), and new and severe diagnoses. They can alert the SSA to be on the lookout for these things in your records and make sure the case analyst understands the importance of requesting this evidence.
If a hearing is needed, your attorney will go over the evidence in the file with you, obtain anything missing, and ensure that they have all the updated evidence needed to present your case to the judge. To streamline the process, make sure all your care providers’ contact information is up to date.
How Kerr Robichaux & Carroll Can Help
Gathering evidence for a disability claim can be overwhelming. At Kerr Robichaux & Carroll, our attorneys are professionals in disability law and are here to help guide you through the process. We’ll work with you to ensure your application is complete and supported by the strongest possible evidence.
If you need assistance gathering or submitting the necessary documentation, or if your claim has been denied and you need help with an appeal, we’re here to advocate for you. Let us help make this process as smooth as possible so you can focus on your health and recovery.
Contact us today by submitting a form online or calling our office at 503-255-9092 for a free legal consultation.