If you suffered a severe injury on the job or are disabled from illness,you may be eligible to receive social security benefits. Determining whether you are eligible for benefits is a complex process and we recommend seeking the advice of a legal professional to make sure you get everything to which you are entitled. The experienced attorneys at Cox, Koltak & Gibson, LLP are here to help you understand how disability evaluation works. At our firm, you meet with an attorney during your first consultation and that attorney will handle your case every step of the way. We provide the personal attention that your case needs.
The Five-Step Evaluation Process
The Social Security Administration evaluates each disability claimant based on a five-step sequential evaluation process. The rules for determining disability are very complex, especially for borderline cases. In general, however, the evaluation is dependent on the answers to these five questions
- Are you currently working?
- Do you have some sort of severe impairment?
- Do you have one of the listed impairments?
- Can you perform any of your past relevant jobs?
- Is there some other type of job in the economy that you can perform?
Unfortunately, answering these questions is not always as easy as it might seem for those without extensive experience.
For example, whether you are working depends on whether you are engaged in some sort of “substantial gainful activity”, which depends on a number of factors including pay and the value of the work performed.
Determining whether you can perform past relevant jobs or other jobs in the economy is also a complicated process, dependent on your level of disability, your age, your skills, past experience, and your location.
Social Security Benefits
Social security benefits fall under two main categories: disability insurance benefits (DIB) and supplemental security income (SSI).
DBI is essentially insurance coverage that you receive by paying social security tax (typically, as a payroll deduction paid to FICA). However, whether or not you are eligible for DIB depends on how long you have been employed and how recently you have worked.
DIB payments are typically larger than SSI payments, which do not require that a person have coverage.
SSI is a form of welfare that is simply dependent on a person’s level of disability as well as his or her income and assets.
We Can Represent You
If you are disabled, you may receive Social Security Disability payments regardless of any workers’ compensation claims or personal injury lawsuits you have filed. However, as you have probably realized, applying for these payments is not an easy task.
Thankfully, our experienced legal professionals are here to represent you and make sure you receive the benefits you deserve. Our attorneys have years of experience with work injury cases, and we are dedicated to doing everything we can to make sure that you are fairly compensated.
When we take a case, we thoroughly investigate every aspect of your injuries, and we help you seek compensation from every possible source. In other words, we will do whatever it takes to get you back on your feet.
If you have suffered an injury while at work, contact one of our experienced social security disability lawyer today.
