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Posts Tagged ‘Social Security Disability’

How much does it cost to hire a Social Security Disability Attorney?

Saturday, August 29th, 2009

Most Social Security Disability Attorneys work on a contingency fee basis. This means they will only be paid if they win your Social Security Disability case. If you receive Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security income, as of June 2009, they are allowed to charge a fee equal to 25 percent of your back pay with a maximum level of $6,000. Under certain conditions, your disability attorney may request additional fees to be paid, but they would be outlined under a fee petition. It is important to discuss all fees and expected costs of settling your Social Security Disability claim with your Social Security Disability Lawyer prior to agreeing to let them represent you.

SSI Attorneys and SSDI Attorneys are paid their fee from the Social Security Administration in a disbursement before the Social Security Administration sends your settlement check to you.

Can my Social Security Disability Attorney expedite my Social Security Disability Claim?

Saturday, August 29th, 2009

In most cases the answer to this question is no, but the goal of hiring a disability attorney is not to speed up or expedite your Social Security Disability case but to increase your chances of receiving Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income benefits.

Unfortunately, many claimants who receive benefits will only do so after their case has been heard by the Administrative Law Judge at the Social Security Disability Hearing. The Social Security Disability process can be extremely slow and the time it takes for your case to be processed can depend on the case load of the Social Security examiner who is reviewing you Social Security Disability application, the time it takes to receive your medical records from the doctors and hospitals you have visited and the number of cases up for review before the Administrative Law Judge who will review your Social Security Disability claim.

If a disability lawyer can not speed up your case, you may wonder if there is anything that can be done to expedite your Social Security claim. The answer is maybe. Gathering medical records is a very time consuming activity for not only the Social Security Administration office but also for your Social Security Disability Attorney. If you are in the application, reconsideration or Social Security Disability hearing level, and you have copies of your medical records, it may expedite your claim if you provide your medical records to your Social Security Attorney. Your disability attorney can coordinate submitting the medical records at the time they submit your Social Security Disability paperwork.

In some instances, a claimant may have a situation which is considered “dire need”. It may help to submit a dire need letter with all the proper information: past due bills, mortgage notices, etc. which will prove you lack the financial resources to support your self. Your Social Security Disability Attorney can ensure the letter is file appropriately. The dire need letter may convince the court to speed up their disability decision.

The final method to expedite your Social Security Disability decision is to submit an “on-the-record-review” of your case. This can be done after your Social Security Disability Attorney has made a request for your Social Security Disability hearing before the Administrative Law Judge.

Sleep Apnea and Receiving Social Security Disability

Thursday, August 27th, 2009

Do you wake up feeling weary and sluggish after a full night’s sleep? Do people tell you that you snore loudly? Do you get sleepy during the day? If the answer is, “Yes”, to these questions you may have sleep apnea. Apnea is Greek for “without breath.”

In this potentially serious sleep disorder, breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. These breathing pauses in your sleep can happen hundreds of times during your sleep and can last often times for a minute or longer. Usually, normal breathing then starts again, sometimes with a choking sound or loud snort.

Sleep apnea is usually a chronic condition that disrupts your sleep 3 or more nights each week. You often move out of deep sleep and into light sleep when your breathing pauses or becomes shallow. This results in poor sleep quality that makes you feel tired during the day. Sleep apnea is one of the leading causes of excessive daytime sleepiness.

There are 3 main types of sleep apnea. There is obstructive sleep apnea, which is the most common type. This kind of sleep apnea occurs when your throat muscles relax. Central sleep apnea happens when your brain does not send proper signals to your muscles that control breathing. The third type of sleep apnea is complex sleep apnea. This is a combination of both obstructive and central sleep apneas.

Some of the main risk factors for getting sleep apnea are high blood pressure, a thick neck, obesity, a narrowed airway, a family history of sleep apnea, being male, smoking, use of alcohol, sedatives, or tranquilizers and being over the age of 40. However, sleep apnea can strike anyone at any age, even children.

The effects caused by obstructive and central sleep apnea are similar making it difficult to determine which type you have. Some of these effects are:

§  Loud snoring

§  Awaking with a sore throat or a dry mouth

§  Excessive daytime sleepiness (hypersomnia)

§  Difficulty staying asleep (insomnia)

§  Abrupt awakenings accompanied by shortness of breath

§  Morning headache

§  Observed episodes of pauses in breathing during sleep.

Sleep apnea and/or complications resulting from it may be why you or a loved one is unable to work. This disorder may be the cause of your disability.

Consequently, you may need help. You may need financial aid.

Have you or your loved one applied for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits from the Social Security Administration? Were you or your loved one denied?

You or your loved one may decide to appeal the denial by the Social Security Administration. If you do, think about this.

You or your loved one will need a proven disability lawyer like the one at socialsecurityhome.com to represent you in the appeals process. This is true because people who are represented by a qualified disability attorney are approved more often than people without a lawyer.

Do not wait. Contact the reliable disability attorney at socialsecurityhome.com, today.

Hiring a Social Security Disability Attorney

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009

If you have been denied Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income benefits, or you have questions about your Social Security Disability claim, it is important to talk to a Social Security Disability Attorney. If you have been denied disability benefits, a disability attorney can help you file your request for reconsideration and get you the Social Security Disability help you need.

Unfortunately, most Social Security Disability benefits are denied the first time a claimant applies. If you have been denied SSDI or SSI benefits, it does not mean that you will not eventually be granted benefits, but you may want to consult with a Social Security Disability Lawyer. SSI Attorneys can increase your chances of winning disability benefits at every step in the Social Security Disability process from the Social Security Disability application to the Social Security Disability hearing.

Sleep Disorder and Receiving Social Security Disability

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009

You may wonder what a sleep disorder is. A sleep disorder is a medical disorder of your sleep patterns. It is any difficulty that you have related to sleeping. This includes trouble staying asleep or falling asleep, excessive total sleep time, falling asleep at inappropriate times or abnormal behaviors associated with sleep.

There are more than 100 waking or sleeping disorders that have been identified. These can be grouped into 4 main categories:

  • Problems with staying awake
  • Sleep-disruptive behaviors
  • Problems with falling and staying asleep
  • Problems with staying on a regular sleep schedule.

Out of the over 100 sleep disorders that are divided into 4 main categories, there are 4 common sleep disorders.

  • Insomnia – It is often a sign or symptom of other problems. It refers to the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep at night. It also refers to daytime fatigue and waking up earlier than usual.
  • Sleep apnea – The primary sign or symptom is excessive daytime sleepiness. Some people will not admit to sleepiness but feel fatigued. Other indications of sleep apnea are snorting, snoring and gasping sounds while you sleep. The person who is sleeping with you notices these. Headaches in the morning and restless or unrefreshing sleep are also signs and symptoms.
  • Narcolepsy – Excessive daytime sleepiness that is relieved by naps is a sign of this sleep disorder. Other indications are loss of muscle control (cataplexy) that happens with emotion like anger or laughing, the inability to move when waking up or going to sleep (sleep paralysis), dreaming during naps and having dream-like hallucinations as you fall asleep.
  • Restless leg syndrome – The primary sign or symptom is an irresistible urge to move your legs shortly after going to bed, in the middle of the night when you wake up, or even when you are wide awake during the day. Twitching or “creepy-crawly” feeling in your arms, thighs, calves, or feet are symptoms. Twitching or kicking leg movements while you are asleep or awake are also indications of this sleep disorder.

You or a loved one may have a sleep disorder. Sleep disorder may be the cause of you or your loved one’s disability.

If this is the case, do you need help? Do you need financial help?

Have you or your loved one applied for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits from the Social Security Administration because of the disability caused by sleep disorder? Were you or your loved one denied?

If you or your loved one is thinking about appealing the denial by the Social Security Administration, you will need a confident disability lawyer like the one you will find at socialsecurityhome.com to represent you in the appeals process. This is true because people who are represented by a caring disability attorney are approved more often than people who are not represented by a lawyer.

Do not put this off. Contact the compassionate disability attorney at socialsecurityhome.com, today.

Sickle-Cell Anemia and Receiving Social Security Disability

Monday, August 24th, 2009

You or your child with disability may have sickle-cell anemia. This disorder and/or complications resulting from it may be the cause of your disability or that of your child with disability.

If this is true, you may need help. You may need financial help.

You may have applied for the financial assistance that you need from the Social Security Administration by applying for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits on behalf of you or your child with disability because of the disability caused by sickle-cell anemia and/or complications resulting from this disorder.

Anemia is the most common disorder of the blood. Anemia literally means, “Without blood”. It is a deficiency of hemoglobin and/or red blood cells. (RBCs)

This deficiency causes a reduced ability of blood to transfer oxygen to your tissues. This, in turn, causes tissue hypoxia. All of your human cells need oxygen to survive. As a result, different degrees of anemia can cause a wide range of clinical problems.

There are several kinds of anemia that are produced by different underlying causes. Anemia can be classified in many ways based on underlying etiologic mechanisms, the morphology of RBCs and discernible clinical spectra, to name a few.

Sickle-cell anemia is a genetic blood disorder that is passed from generation to generation that causes abnormal red blood cells. The abnormal shape of the red blood cells causes blockages in your capillaries and organs.

One of the results of these blockages is a pain episode known as a sickle-cell crisis. Another result is that the lack of oxygen to your organs often causes damage.

Sickle-cell anemia can affect all races, but it is most common among people with sub-Saharan African ancestry. In fact, among African Americans, estimates are that one in twelve may be carriers of sickle-cell anemia.

The signs and symptoms of sickle cell anemia are different. You may have mild symptoms, or you may have very severe symptoms that require you to be hospitalized for treatment.

Sickle cell anemia is present at birth, but many infants do not show any signs or symptoms until after 4 months of age.

There are several effects that you may experience with this disorder. Some of these are:

  • Anemia
  • Episodes of pain called crises
  • Headache
  • Shortness of breath
  • Dizziness
  • Chest pain
  • Pale skin
  • Jaundice
  • Coldness in your feet and hands
  • Hand-foot syndrome
  • Delayed growth
  • Vision problems
  • Frequent infections.

Were you or your child with disability denied your claim for benefits from the Social Security Administration?

If you are going to appeal the denial, here is something that you need to consider. People who are represented in the appeals procedure by a good disability lawyer like the one at socialsecurityhome.com are approved more often than people who are not represented by an attorney.

Do not delay. This is something of great importance to you or your child with disability. Contact the knowledgeable disability lawyer at socialsecurityhome.com, today.

Separation Anxiety Disorder in Children and Receiving Social Security Disability

Friday, August 21st, 2009

You may have a child with disability who has separation anxiety disorder. This may be the cause of your child’s disability.

If this is true, you may need help. You may need financial assistance.

Have you applied for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits for your child with disability from the Social Security Administration because of the disability caused by separation anxiety disorder? Was your child with disability denied?

If you appeal the denial by the Social Security Administration, remember this. People who are represented by a caring disability attorney like the one at socialsecurityhome.com in the appeals procedure are approved more often than those people who are not represented by a lawyer.

There is a difference between separation anxiety and separation anxiety disorder. Separation anxiety is a normal stage of development for secure, healthy babies.

It usually involves crying and distress when the baby is separated from parents or home. With the passage of time, however, the child learns to feel safe in a new environment. The child feels secure that a parent will return. Gradually the separation anxiety fades away.

On the other hand, separation anxiety disorder is excessive, age-inappropriate fear of being separated from family members. This is particularly true of being separated from parents.

Children with separation anxiety disorder are afraid of being lost to their families. Or, they are sure something bad will happen to their family members if they are separated from them. Separation anxiety disorder can inhibit or restrict a child’s normal activities to a significant degree.

Separation anxiety disorder usually begins in children who are of school age. It affects about 4% of children 6-12 and a slightly lower proportion of adolescents. Separation anxiety disorder affects girls and boys about the same

The causes of separation anxiety disorder can involve a traumatic experience a child has gone through. These are things like

§  A scary event (tornado, earthquake)

§  A serious separation (parent in the military)

§  A big change (starting a new school, birth of brother or sister)

§  Stress in the family (coming divorce, serious illness or death of family member or pet)

§  Sickness (major or minor).

The main sign or symptom of separation anxiety disorder is fear that is exaggerated out of proportion to real problems or situations. Other signs and symptoms can be physical or behavioral such as:

  • Headaches or stomachaches when they come persistently before separation from parents
  • Following parents around the house, not wanting them to be out of sight
  • Asking to sleep in bed with parents at night
  • Nightmares of parents leaving or being gone
  • Excessive worry or panic at the experience or anticipation of being away from home
  • Refusing to go to school or other activities away from home
  • Excessive worry about their own safety or that of members of the family.

Repetitive Stress Injury and Receiving Social Security Disability

Tuesday, August 18th, 2009

Most of the time, repetitive stress injury will not disable you or qualify you to receive Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits. This is because the Social Security Administration requires that your disability has to last for at least one year in order for you to qualify for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits. 

However, if your repetitive stress injury is going to cause you to be unable to work for one year or longer, or it is in conjunction with other disabling conditions that will keep you from working for over a year; you may then qualify for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits from the Social Security Administration. 

This may be your situation. You may have applied for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits from the Social Security Administration and been denied.

If you plan to appeal the denial, remember this. People who are represented in the appeals procedure by a skilled disability attorney like the one at socialsecurityhome.com are approved more often than those people who are not represented by a lawyer. 

Repetitive stress injury refers to any of a loose group of medical conditions resulting from the overuse of some kind of tool or instrument. For example, it could be a knife, guitar or computer. It can be anything that requires repeated movements. 

 Repetitive stress injury is a syndrome that affects nerves, tendons and muscles in your upper back, arms and hands. The medically accepted condition in which repetitive stress injury occurs is when muscles in these areas are kept tense for extremely long periods of time. This is due to repetitive motions and/or poor posture. 

Repetitive stress injury (RSI) is also known by several other names. It is also called repetitive strain injury, cumulative trauma disorder (CTD), occupational overuse syndrome or work related upper limb disorder (WRULD). 

The people who are most at risk for getting this syndrome are those whose job requires them to make the same repeated movements over a long period of time. Repetitive stress injury is common among assembly line workers, computer workers and guitarists. 

You may think that this syndrome is nothing serious, just a minor nuisance. However, repetitive stress injury is no small, laughing matter. It accounts for 34% of all lost-workday illness and injury, and it costs $20 billion a year. An estimated $50 billion a year is lost by businesses, annually, due to decreased productivity, sick leave and medical costs linked to repetitive stress injury. 

There are several varied signs and symptoms of repetitive stress injury. Some of these are: 

  • Recurring soreness or pain in your hands or wrist, shoulders, neck or upper back
  • Weakness, lack of endurance and loss of gripping strength
  • Numbness or pain while lying in bed
  • Numbness, tingling, coldness or loss of sensation
  • Muscles in your arms and shoulders feel wiry and hard to the touch. 

If you can’t work because of a repetitive stress injury, don’t wait. Contact the tough disability attorney at socialsecurityhome.com, today.

Polycystic Kidney Disease and Receiving Social Security Disability

Monday, August 10th, 2009

Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is a progressive, genetic disorder of your kidneys. It is a kidney disorder passed down through families in which multiple cysts form on your kidneys, causing them to become enlarged. These clusters of cysts are noncancerous round sacs containing water-like fluid.

Polycystic kidney disease is not limited to just your kidneys, although your kidneys usually are the most severely affected organs. This disease can cause cysts to develop in other places in your body.

Polycystic kidney disease is also referred to in other ways. It is referred to as cysts – kidneys, kidney – polycystic, and autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD).

Approximately 7 million people have this disease worldwide. Around 600,000 people have polycystic kidney disease in the United States. It is the 4th leading cause of kidney failure in America. Polycystic kidney disease is the most common life-threatening genetic disease.

There are two main forms of polycystic kidney disease. They are the autosomal dominant form and the autosomal recessive form. The autosomal dominant form is much more common but less severe. The autosomal recessive form is far less common but more severe. There is a rare form of polycystic kidney disease that is referred to as “PKD3″.

Polycystic kidney disease is passed down through families as a genetic disease. It is usually an autosomal dominant trait. Children have a 50% chance of getting this disorder if one parent carries the gene.

There are several signs and symptoms that you may experience with polycystic kidney disease. Some of these include:

  • Blood in your urine
  • Excessive urination at night
  • Back or side pain related to enlarged kidneys
  • Abdominal tenderness or pain
  • Increase in the size of your abdomen
  • Joint pain
  • Drowsiness
  • Painful menstruation for women
  • High blood pressure (link to page High Blood Pressure and Disability)
  • Nail abnormalities
  • Kidney stones
  • Kidney infections
  • Kidney failure.

You or a loved one may have polycystic kidney disease. It may be the reason you or your loved one is disabled and unable to work.

If this is true, you may need assistance. You may need financial help.

Have you or your loved one tried to get that financial assistance by applying for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits from the Social Security Administration because of the disability caused by polycystic kidney disease? Were you or your loved one denied?

You or your loved one may be planning on appealing the denial by the Social Security Administration. If you do, remember this.

You or your loved one will need the representation of a caring disability attorney in what can be a long and trying process. The reason for this is because people who are represented by a confident disability lawyer like the one you will find at socialsecurityhome.com are approved more often than those who do not have an attorney.

Do not wait. Contact the accomplished disability lawyer at socialsecurityhome.com, today.

Multiple Sclerosis and Receiving Social Security Disability

Thursday, July 23rd, 2009

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, potentially disabling disease that affects your central nervous system. Your central nervous system is made up of your brain and spinal cord. 

Multiple sclerosis is thought to be an autoimmune disease. Autoimmune diseases are those in which your immune system attacks parts of your body as if they are something foreign.

With multiple sclerosis, your body mistakenly sets white blood cells and antibodies against proteins in your myelin sheath. This is a fatty substance that insulates nerve fibers in your brain and spinal cord. This leads to injury and inflammation to your myelin sheath and ultimately to your nerves that it surrounds. This in turn may lead to multiple areas of scarring (sclerosis). Eventually, this damage can block or slow your nerve signals that control your strength, sensation, vision and muscle coordination.

Multiple sclerosis affects an estimated 300,000 people in the United States and probably more than 1 million people around the world. Women are twice as susceptible to multiple sclerosis as men. Most people experience their first signs or symptoms between the ages of 20 and 40.

Multiple sclerosis is unpredictable and varies in severity. Multiple sclerosis can range anywhere from being relatively mild and benign, to somewhat disabling, to devastating with permanent disability.

The effects that are caused by multiple sclerosis vary widely, depending on the location of your nerve fibers that are affected. Some of the ways that you may be affected are: 

  • Blurring of your vision or double vision
  • Pain or tingling in parts of your body
  • Dizziness
  • Electric-shock sensations that happen when you make certain head movements
  • Fatigue
  • An unsteady gait in your walking, tremor or lack of coordination
  • Weakness or numbness in one or more of your limbs
  • Partial or complete loss of vision.

 These effects may keep you or a loved one from working. Multiple sclerosis may be the cause of you or your loved one’s disability.

If this is true, you or your loved one may need assistance. You may need financial help.

Have you or your loved one applied for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits from the Social Security Administration because of the disability caused by multiple sclerosis? Were you or your loved one denied?

You or your loved one may plan on appealing the denial by the Social Security Administration. If you decide to do this, here is something that you need to think about.

You will need an established disability lawyer like the one you will find at socialsecurityhome.com to represent you in what can prove to be a long and trying process. The reason this is true is because people who are represented by an experienced disability attorney are approved more often than people who do not have a lawyer. 

Do not wait. This may affect you or your loved one for the rest of your life. Contact the good disability attorney at socialsecurityhome.com, today.