Personal Injury

Diagnosis Is Just The Beginning

Choosing Your Physician

A medical diagnosis of disability does not qualify you to receive Social Security disability benefits. Your diagnosis is merely the first step. A diagnosis may reveal or identify a condition that can be the basis for receiving disability benefits, but the Social Security Administration (SSA) has to assess the severity of the condition and determine what your actual, functional limitations are when it comes to employability. Benefits are granted not simply on the basis of having a disability, but on the basis of your ability or inability to function with your disability in a work environment.

In southern California, if you are hoping to receive Social Security disability benefits, get legal help right away from an experienced Los Angeles Social Security disability attorney. You and your attorney will have to prove to the SSA that you are not merely suffering a condition that indicates disability; you’ll also have to prove that your functionality is too limited to allow you to work. That evidence should include statements and other documents from treating physicians, other healthcare providers, employers, family members, and friends.

Your testimony at your Social Security disability hearing should address not your condition but your functional limitations. Judges typically want to know about your daily living activities; it’s evidence that helps them determine your level of functionality. There are many elements to a successful claim for Social Security disability benefits, and your diagnosis is just the initial step to establishing your eligibility for benefits.

Don’t think that you can’t afford a good disability lawyer. You can. In southern California, most disability attorneys work on a contingency basis, so you pay for legal services only if your claim prevails. Hiring an experienced Los Angeles Social Security disability attorney significantly heightens the likelihood that you will be awarded disability benefits. A good disability lawyer will guide you through every step of the process so that you can begin receiving benefits promptly. In southern California, if you need to obtain disability benefits, speak as quickly as possible to an experienced Los Angeles Social Security disability attorney.