When we use the term disability with respect to a person who can no longer work, we normally think of a physical disability, such as one caused by an accident or medical condition like a stroke or heart disease. However, mental illnesses, such as severe depression and posttraumatic stress disorder…
According to a recent article from WIVB4 News, one woman’s three-year wait for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits is finally over. Due to severe injuries to her neck and back, claimant has been unable to work since late 2010. Claimant filed a claim after becoming disabled and, after several…
A recent news article from the New York Times takes a look at the growing trend of employers choosing to phase out providing long-term disability insurance to employees. Historically, many employers, especially those who provide white-collar jobs, have offered employees long-term disability insurance either free or with the option to…
A news article in the Wall Street Journal discusses how difficult it can be to get approved for Social Security Disability benefits (SSDI). As noted in the article, the injury or illness for which a claimant is seeking SSDI benefits must be so severe that it leaves the claimant unable…
Browning v. Colvin, an appeal heard before the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, involved a woman who had applied for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. The United States Social Security Administration (SSA) oversees the SSI program. As our SSI attorneys in Boston can explain, SSI benefits…
Welsh v. Colvin, an appeal from the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, involves a claimant who applied for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits from the United States Social Security Administration (SSA). The SSA denied his applications for benefits. After the…
In Whitman v. Colvin, an appeal from the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, claimant filed an application for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits under Title II of the United States Social Security Act. Our SSDI lawyers in Boston understand that obtaining a rating of total…
Hendron v. Colvin, a case from the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, involved a claimant who had applied three times for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits from the United States Social Security Administration (SSA). Claimant filed her first application in 1999, and it was denied…
Administrative law judges overseeing Social Security Disability Insurance benefits claims do have a fair amount of discretion in determination of cases. They can decide whether certain expert witnesses deserve more credence than others, if some evidence should be discounted and whether they find the claimant to be believable. However, our…
Unless an applicant seeking Social Security disability insurance benefits has a listed condition with severity that is recognized by the administration, he or she can expect to fight in order to secure benefits. This does not mean one is ineligible. It just means the determination is sometimes subjective, and the…