Disability Evaluation

Social Security Disability Evaluation

For both Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) applicants who have met the work experience and earnings requirements for benefits and for SSI applicants, the primary hurdle to overcome will be the disability evaluation. You need to prove a disability severe enough to keep you from working under the criteria established by the Social Security Administration. Contact the Salt Lake City office of SSDI attorney Ward Harper for a free evaluation of your right to disability benefits, and the representation that can help you establish your claim.

Ward Harper's success rate in administrative appeals of denied SSDI applications is 99% in about 782 cases between 2001 and December 2008. Not quite perfect, but pretty close. This reflects his experience and resourcefulness in establishing your eligibility for benefits under each of the disability criteria that your case must satisfy:

• Are you working now? Or in SSDI terms, "performing substantial gainful activity"? If so, your claim fails. If not, move to the next question.
• Do you have a medically severe impairment that affects your ability to work? If you have a mental or physical impairment that meets a complicated set of medical criteria, your claim wins. If not, move to the next question.
• Can you perform past relevant work? If so, you lose. If not, move to the next question.
• Are there any jobs in the American economy that you can perform despite your medical impairment? If so, you lose. If not, you win.

As you can see, each of the last three points listed above can be a fairly complicated question that can only be answered through rather technical evidence. At Ward Harper, Attorney at Law, we can usually prove your case through your own medical records and the testimony of your treating physicians. You need to make sure that your work history on your initial benefits application does not overstate your duties or activities. Unlike a resume, the work history component of an SSDI benefits application will penalize you for high achievement or impressive responsibilities, by indicating the likelihood of an ability to work at less demanding jobs despite your medical impairment.

The Social Security disability evaluation essentially considers your ability to work despite your physical impairment, condition of chronic illness, or mental disability. Our ability to establish our clients' right to SSDI benefits against both the medical criteria and the vocational standards can help you just as we have helped hundreds of other Utah clients. For a free consultation about your SSDI claim, contact Salt Lake City disability benefits lawyer Ward Harper.