Many Las Vegas residents have been diagnosed with more than one illness or injury that makes them unable to work. When one illness isn’t limiting enough to qualify a person for social security benefits, the Social Security Administration (SSA) must consider the combined effect your illnesses have on you to decide your benefits claim. Despite this requirement, most initial benefits claims from individuals with multiple illnesses are denied.
Contact a Las Vegas Disability Attorney Today
Working with an experienced disability attorney can increase your chances of successfully obtaining benefits. Our Las Vegas Disability Lawyers have a proven history of helping clients with multiple illnesses obtain the Social Security benefits they deserve. If the Social Security Administration denies your claim, we will appeal and represent you at your disability hearing. Please contact our Las Vegas office today so we can start working on your disability claim.
Obtaining Social Security Benefits With Multiple Illnesses
The first step in obtaining Social Security benefits is to submit your application. After you submit your application, the claims examiner from the Social Security Administration will review your application to determine whether you qualify for benefits. The Social Security Administration uses a 5-step process to evaluate disability benefits applications. First, they will decide whether or not you can perform any substantial gainful activity (SGA). If you earn enough income to put your monthly earnings over a certain amount adjusted annually, they will probably deny your claim.
If you have multiple medical conditions, but they are not severe enough to qualify you for benefits, you could still be eligible for benefits. You will need to show that the combination of all of your impairment or illness has substantially limited a work-related activity. Suppose you have hypertension and sleep apnea. These conditions may not prevent you from substantial gainful activity when taken individually. However, you may be able to show that the combination of these conditions is considered severe because they prevent you from performing work-related tasks.
However, if your multiple illnesses make it impossible for you to work or engage in substantial gainful activity, your claim will proceed to the next step. The claims adjuster reviewing your case will examine the medical evidence you’ve submitted with your application. Based on the medical evidence, the examiner will decide whether your impairment or combination of impairments is severe enough to qualify you for benefits. You will need to submit enough evidence that you have been receiving consistent treatment for your medical conditions and that they prevent you from performing work-related physical and mental tasks, such as:
- Walking
- Bending
- Lifting
- Sitting
- Following directions
- Interacting with coworkers and supervisors
Is One or More of Your Impairments in The Blue Book?
In the next step of your disability claims process, the claims adjuster will compare your medical conditions to the listings in the Blue Book. The Blue Book is a guide that includes listings of specific medical impairments that qualify individuals for Social Security benefits. Rather than evaluate each medical condition separately, the Social Security claims examiner must consider the combined effects of all of your medical conditions. The examiner must determine whether they are medically equivalent to one of these medical conditions listed in the Blue Book.
Do Your Illnesses Prevent You From Working?
If the combined effects of all of your medical conditions are equal to an impairment listed in the Blue Book, you will qualify for social security benefits. However, if the combined effects of all of your medical conditions don’t equal a list of impairment, you still have another option. The Social Security examiners will assess your residual functioning capacity (RFC).
This type of assessment describes all of the limitations resulting from your disability. The assessment will determine what jobs you can still perform even with all of the symptoms of your multiple illnesses. Suppose the examiner determines that you can’t do the same type of work you had previously done before you became disabled, and you can’t perform a different kind of work. In that case, you will qualify for disability benefits.
How a Disability Attorney Can Help You Obtain Benefits for Multiple Illnesses
Regardless of what type of illness or illnesses you have, it’s likely that your first-time application for benefits will be denied. For that reason, it’s wise to work with an experienced disability attorney. Trying to cope with multiple illnesses while navigating the application process can be difficult. It’s wise to work with an experienced disability attorney who will carefully review your case and gather all of the medical evidence you need to show that you can no longer engage in substantially gainful employment.
It’s essential to carefully list all of your physical and medical conditions on your application. However, your medical record needs to prove that the symptoms from all of your illnesses combine to make it impossible for you to work in your current field or any job. At Roeschke Law, LLC Las Vegas, we focus our entire legal practice on helping clients obtain the Social Security benefits they deserve. One of our skilled attorneys will help you complete your application thoroughly and accurately. Then we will work with your medical doctor to gather all of the medical evidence you need to improve your case.
If the Social Security Administration denies your application, you have the right to appeal. We will help you through the entire appeals process. One of our skilled attorneys will represent you at your disability hearing and advocate for your right to compensation. When you work with our team, you can rest assured that we will represent you every step of the way so you can focus on your recovery.
Contact an Experienced Las Vegas Disability Benefits Attorney
Are you a Las Vegas-area resident who suffers from multiple medical conditions that make it difficult, if not impossible, to work? If so, you may be eligible for disability benefits to the Social Security Administration. Obtaining these essential benefits is complicated. One of the best ways to protect your rights is to work with an experienced Las Vegas disability lawyer, increasing the likelihood of your claim being approved. Contact Roeschke Law, LLC Las Vegas today to schedule your free consultation.