Documenting Your Symptoms Early Will Benefit Your Disability Case

The road to winning Social Security Disability benefits is long and difficult to navigate.

In Illinois, nearly 70% of initial Social Security Disability applications are denied.

But here’s a secret which will give you the best chance of being granted benefits: Accurate and complete medical records from doctors, clinics, and hospitals are essential to prove to the Social Security Administration (SSA) that your physical or mental impairments are severe enough to keep you from working.

It is not enough to say you have a disability. It is not even enough to have your doctor say you are disabled. In the final analysis, the term “disabled” in and of itself doesn’t really mean much to Social Security.

To qualify for disability benefits you must prove that the symptoms of your impairments prevent you from sustaining full-time competitive employment on a consistent and reliable basis.

All qualifying disabilities must be expected to last and keep you out of work for at least 12 months.

If your health problems are making it difficult for you to perform your job, you should be sure that your medical professionals are documenting the symptoms and limitations of your impairments.

“Many clients don’t realize how important it is to start building their records for their case early on,” observes disability attorney Demetra Geller of Nash Disability Law. “Even before they apply for benefits, they should make sure that they are reporting their symptoms to their doctors, that their doctors are writing everything down, and that they obtain appropriate tests such as MRIs.”

Documenting your symptoms early in the process can significantly strengthen your disability case by providing a clear timeline of your condition and its impact on your daily life.

In most cases, you should tell your doctor that you are considering filing for disability. To improve your chances of winning benefits, it is important to share the right information with your doctor to have the most helpful and specific medical records to prove your claim.

If you are being treated by multiple doctors, including specialists, make sure to let each of them know that you are applying for benefits. Each doctor may be treating something different and can provide more insight into your condition.

In addition to medical records, another way to strengthen your application and improve your odds of being awarded the benefits you have earned is to keep a disability journal.

A disability journal is a log that tracks how your disability affects your day-to-day living and what you do to manage it. Aim to add journal entries every day, or at least several times a week.

This journal will help reinforce the medical records, tests, and statements from your healthcare providers, and may help prove to Social Security how, due to the limitations of your condition, you are unable to perform any job in the national economy, considering your age, education, and past work.

The goal is for your journal to present a clear and vivid picture of how your disability affects your life. Your personal account can also be helpful for your doctor when they’re creating your records.

Like reporting symptoms to your doctors, you should start writing your disability journal early on, because it can offer additional insight into your condition and its progression. Even if you’re still working, the journal can help document any difficulties that your health problems cause you in performing your job.

If you or someone you care about has a disability, is unable to work, and is considering filing for disability benefits, the Chicago disability lawyers at Nash Disability Law can help.

We will give you a FREE evaluation of your disability case. The evaluation can be done over the telephone or in person. Call or email us today to schedule an appointment.