Social Security Disability Attorneys for Chronic Liver Disease
Were you diagnosed with chronic liver disease? Do your symptoms impair your physical or mental functioning, preventing you from working? If so, contact the Indiana Social Security Disability lawyers of Hankey Marks & Crider right now so we can determine if you’re eligible for Social Security Disability benefits.
Disability benefits can replace a portion of your average monthly wages. You can use these payments to afford your medical treatment, daily living expenses, and other costs. Whether your medical condition keeps you from your job for a couple of years or the rest of your life, you deserve to collect the maximum available benefits. At Hankey Marks & Crider, our Social Security Disability attorneys have experience filing claims and appealing denied claims, so our clients receive the money they’re owed.
Call us at (317) 634-8565 for a free consultation to learn more about our services.
Does Chronic Liver Disease Qualify As A Disability?
The Social Security Administration provides a Listing of Impairments to determine whether someone’s medical condition qualifies as a disability. The list includes chronic liver disease.
Chronic liver disease results from the gradual destruction of liver tissue. The two main types of liver disease are:
- Cirrhosis – Over time, scar tissues replace the liver’s healthy tissue, disrupting blood flow and preventing the organ from processing drugs, nutrients, hormones, and poisons correctly.
- Fibrosis – Scar tissue growth due to an injury, inflammation, or infection. Reduced liver functioning occurs from the overgrowth of this scar tissue.
Common symptoms and complications caused by chronic liver disease are:
- Kidney failure
- A buildup of fluid in the belly
- Muscle loss
- Gallstones
- Vomiting blood
- Bruising easily
- Jaundice of the eyes and skin
- Spider-like veins
- Itching
- Weight loss
- Loss of appetite
- Confusion
- Fatigue
If your doctor diagnoses you with chronic liver disease and you can no longer do your job, you might be entitled to Social Security Disability or Supplemental Security Income benefits.
Social Security Disability Benefits
SSD is a federal program to supplement an ill or injured worker’s lost wages. These payments come from the taxes taken out of your paychecks for Social Security. The amount you receive will depend on the number of years you worked and your average monthly income before the disability began.
There is a five-month waiting period you must go through before receiving your first benefit payment. Your chronic liver disease must keep you from performing your job-related duties for those five months to qualify.
Supplemental Security Income
SSI is for those who don’t qualify for SSD benefits. Instead of receiving payments from Social Security taxes, you would get them from general fund taxes. Whether you’re eligible for benefits will depend on the value of your assets and income.
You must earn a limited amount of income and have no more than $2,000 in assets to qualify for coverage as an individual. Couples must have less than $3,000 in assets.
You may also receive Medicaid coverage, food stamps, and cash benefits that pay for basic needs, such as housing.
Unlike Social Security Disability, there isn’t a waiting period you must go through before receiving your first payment through Supplemental Security Income. Benefits typically begin within the first month of applying.
How To Apply for Disability Benefits
It’s vital that you begin the application process as soon as your chronic liver disease symptoms leave you disabled. Claims can take a while for the Social Security Administration (SSA) to approve, so the sooner you start, the better.
You can apply for benefits in one of three ways:
- By phone
- In person
- Online
Be sure to provide your medical records and associated documentation proving you have a disabling condition to the SSA. If there isn’t any proof that you can’t maintain employment, your claim will likely be denied.
Common Reasons for Denied Disability Applications
You must meet all deadlines and submit evidence of your disability when applying for benefits. The smallest of errors could delay the process or result in a denied claim. The most common reasons the SSA denies SSD and SSI applications are:
- No longer disabled –The SSA office requires consistent proof of a disability to continue collecting payments. If you can return to work, you will no longer qualify for benefits.
- Failure to follow instructions – Missing a deadline or providing incomplete medical records could delay the entire process and even cause the SSA to deny your application.
- Inadequate medical evidence – Your medical records should contain detailed information about your disabling condition and how it affects your physical or mental abilities.
- Definition of disability – Your medical condition must qualify as a disability under the Listing of Impairments.
- Prior denied claim – You can’t apply for benefits if you already have a previously denied claim. Instead, you must file an appeal.
The letter you receive from the SSA will explain the denial and include instructions on how to appeal the decision. Four appeal levels determine how you should proceed:
- Reconsideration – This is for claims denied because of a medical reason. Someone who didn’t issue the denial will review original evidence submitted and new medical evidence provided during the appeals process.
- Hearing by an administrative law judge – You can request a hearing with a person not involved in the decision to deny your application. The judge will listen to your arguments and review the evidence you submit.
- Request for an Appeals Council review – They will look at your request and decide if they want to review your case and approve your claim.
- Review by federal court – You could file a civil lawsuit with the federal district court if the Appeals Council denies your appeal. You must do so within 60 days of their denial.
Appeals are complicated procedures. Your Social Security Disability attorney from Hankey Marks & Crider can take on the responsibility and complete each step on your behalf. You shouldn’t be forced to face additional stress while you’re pursuing the benefits you deserve. Let us focus on the hard part while you focus on treating your chronic liver disease.
Contact Us
With over 80 years of combined experience, the legal team of Hankey Marks & Crider can represent you in your Social Security Disability claim or appeal. We will work hard to gather relevant evidence proving you have a disabling condition preventing you from earning a living. When you’re out of work and struggling with a debilitating disease, it can seem like a never-ending battle. You can depend on us to advocate for your rights and seek the maximum available benefits you need to supplement your lost income.
If chronic liver disease caused you to stop working and you want to learn about the options for applying for SSD or SSI benefits, call Hankey Marks & Crider at (317) 634-8565 for a free consultation.