Oklahoma City Social Security Disability Law Blog

Paralysis is a damaging physical condition that prevents a victim from having sensation in a part of their body. These traumatic injuries are generally the result of damage to the spinal cord, and depending on where a person suffers a spinal cord injury, their type of paralysis may differ. This post will briefly discuss spinal cord injuries and how they may qualify Oklahoma residents for Social Security Disability benefits, but readers are reminded that this post contains no legal or medical advice.

The spinal cord is a group of nerves that run from a person's brain down through their back body. From the spinal cord nerves branch out to the muscles and bodily systems of the person, so that the brain can exert control over the entire body. The spinal cord is encased in a set of bones, called the spinal column.

As readers of this Oklahoma City Social Security disability benefits legal blog are likely aware, disability benefits are often available to men and women who are not able to work because they suffer from disabling injuries, illnesses and medical conditions. In order to avail themselves to these benefits, individuals must first apply and meet the requirements of the Social Security Administration. One of the most important requirements that they must meet is the agency's definition of disability.

In order to be disabled under the Social Security Administration's definition of the term a person must not be able to do the work that they did before sustaining their injury or acquiring their illness. Additionally, the person must not be able to change to other types of work because of their medical issue. Put simply, the person's ailment must prevent them from holding down a job.

One of the most important documents in an application for Social Security Disability Insurance, commonly known as SSDI, is the "Adult Disability Report." The Social Security Administration requires this form for all SSDI applications, and in it, the applicant lists pertinent information relating to his or her disability.

The Adult Disability Report is a complicated form to complete. What is more, if an applicant makes a mistake or completes the form incorrectly in any of its parts, he or she is more likely to have a denied claim. A claim denial is an even bigger problem than the initial application because the only way to resolve it is by filing an appeal, which requires an attorney's assistance. That is why before you complete an Adult Disability Report form, you should learn a few things that can help. Here are three facts to know before you attempt to complete this part of the SSDI application by yourself.

Oklahoma City residents who apply for Social Security disability benefits want to have their applications approved the first time they are received by the Social Security Administration so that they experience no delays in the payment of the support they need. However, not all requests for benefits are approved on first pass and many go through an extensive review process before they are granted. This post will offer an overview of the review steps a claim may go through if it is denied upon its initial consideration.

First, if an applicant's application is denied then that applicant has sixty days to request that their application be given a reconsideration review. A reconsideration review is undertaken by a Social Security Administration employee who was not involved in the application's initial consideration. If the reconsideration reviewer sides with the applicant then the application will be approved and benefits will be paid. If the reviewer agrees that the application should be denied then the applicant's next step is to request a hearing before an administrative law judge.