Can You Be Awarded Disability Benefits for Meningitis in Chicago, IL?
A meningitis infection damages delicate membranes—called meninges—that cover the brain and spinal cord.
It can leave you with lasting effects that alter your daily life. If you’re unable to work after a meningitis infection, Social Security recognizes this as a potential disability that qualifies for monthly financial support.
Meningitis is not common, with only about 200,000 cases per year in the U.S. It may arise from a variety of causes.
The most serious form of the disease is caused by bacteria. Bacterial meningitis can be life-threatening or lead to brain damage unless treated quickly.
Meningitis caused by a virus is the most common form of the disease, and although generally less serious than bacterial meningitis, viral meningitis can still cause significant health problems.
Other—even more rare—sources of meningitis include fungi, parasites and amoebas.
However you or a loved one got the infection, if the long-term result limits the ability to function to hold down a job, Nash Disability Law can help you.
We help people win Social Security Disability benefits for more secure lives.
In over 35 years, we’ve helped thousands of people. By the amount of benefits we’ve won for our clients we’re one of the top Illinois-based disability law firms.
WE’VE HELPED MORE PEOPLE IN THE CHICAGO AREA WIN BENEFITS THAN ANY OTHER LAW FIRM.
On this page we discuss applying for disability benefits after meningitis. We’re happy to discuss your particular situation with you.
How To Qualify for Social Security Disability for Meningitis
To determine if you are medically eligible for disability benefits, Social Security has a set of procedures in place.
These procedures are published in a guide people call the “Blue Book,” and it includes a list of various disabling conditions known as the “listings.”
The disability criteria for meningitis are under the listing for immune deficiency disorders—Listing 14.07.
To meet the criteria for this listing, “your infection must either be resistant to treatment or require hospitalization or intravenous treatment three or more times in a 12-month period.”
Most often, an applicant’s medical conditions will not precisely meet the Blue Book’s technical requirements to qualify for disability payments.
But there is a second way to qualify. You may be eligible for Social Security Disability benefits if you can prove that, 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.
You must demonstrate that your symptoms prevent you from sustaining full-time competitive employment on a consistent and reliable basis. All qualifying disabilities must last 12 months—or clearly be serious enough to last 12 months into the future—keeping you out of work.
How can you tell if you could get disability benefits for meningitis?
The highly experienced Chicago disability lawyers at Nash Disability Law will give you case consultation for no charge.
Proving Your Meningitis Is Serious Enough to Warrant Disability Benefits
To prove that damage to your health from meningitis prevents you from maintaining fulltime employment, it’s important to ask your doctor to explain your medical situation to Social Security, often using a form called the, “Residual Functional Capacity” (RFC) form.
The RFC form measures your physical abilities, and it allows your doctor to explain how your medical conditions limit you from working.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) will consider the RFC form along with other medical evidence to decide whether you qualify for Social Security Disability benefits.
If you have or have had meningitis and your condition has made it impossible for you to hold a job on a full-time basis, talk to us at Nash Disability Law
Our disability attorneys in Chicago can help you navigate the complex SSA disability claims process.
We want to see you get a better economic foundation for your life going forward.
