In the Los Angeles area, when and if you become disabled and unable to work, you may qualify to receive disability benefits through the Social Security Administration (SSA). When you apply for those benefits, you should have the help of an experienced Los Angeles Social Security disability attorney. The decision to grant or deny benefits is based to a large degree on your personal credibility. If you tell the SSA that you are disabled and that you are unable to work, you won’t receive benefits unless they believe you.
One way to enhance your credibility with the SSA is to have a comprehensive record of seeing several doctors and trying several treatments for your disabling condition. If you have not spoken with a doctor or another medical practitioner about your symptoms, Social Security may conclude that your condition is not as severe or limiting as you say it is. However, if there are good reasons why you have not sought medical treatment, Social Security must consider those reasons, which may include:
- You cannot afford treatment, do not have insurance, or your coverage is inadequate.
- The side effects of your medicine are worse than the symptoms.
- You have been told by a doctor that no treatment will be effective.
- Submitting to medical treatment is against your religion.
Make certain that the SSA has all of your medical records. Include not only medical doctors but also chiropractors, therapists, and counselors who have evaluated you. If you receive massage or acupuncture therapy, include that information in your application. It’s not easy to win approval for Social Security disability benefits. If you’ve already been denied benefits once, or if you are recently disabled and you believe that you are eligible to receive disability benefits, speak at once to an experienced Los Angeles Social Security disability attorney.