What are two major mistakes made by Social Security disability benefit applicants?

1. Failure to appeal

Over half of the applicants who are denied disability benefits fail to appeal. Even many applicants who are denied on reconsideration also fail to request a rehearing.

2. Failing to obtain appropriate medical care.

Those with disabilities, but particularly those with long-term chronic medical problems, often believe that doctors cannot help them. As a result, they stop going for treatment. This is a mistake for two reasons. First, those with chronic illnesses need regular medical care more than others. Second, records from medical treatments provide the most important evidence of disability in a Social Security case.

Should I ask my doctor to write a letter to the Social Security Administration, and should I collect my own medical records and submit them to the SSA?

The SSA will request and gather your medical records, so you don’t need to. Whether a doctor’s letter would give you an advantage is difficult to predict. While a few people may win their cases by submitting doctors’ letters, the medical-legal issues are often so complicated in disability cases that even a doctor may accidentally give the wrong impression. Thus, you may wish to have a lawyer review any doctor’s letters.

Contact Albuquerque Social Security disability lawyer, Donald D. Vigil, today for a consultation.