personal injury suffered in a hospital

Posted on: 18 August 2015

If the Social Security Disability Administration (SSDA) recently denied your application for benefits, you should not be surprised. 65% of applicants are turned down when they initially apply for benefits, but being denied benefits does not mean you should stop trying. Here are two tips that may help you get approved for the disability benefits you feel you need.

Be Prepared To Fight By Appealing The Decision

Even if you are part of the 65% turned down by the SSDA, you can still pursue these benefits. It will require persistence, time, and energy though, and you will need to hire a social security disability lawyer (try going here or to another local site). It can be almost impossible to try to fight this alone, and your chances of getting approved may be higher if you have an attorney representing you.

Your first step in the fight for benefits is preparing an appeal to the SSDA. You can appeal the decision made if you feel that it was not fair or right, and you will have to appeal it if you want to continue pursuing these benefits. As you prepare this appeal, you should keep in mind the reason the benefits were denied, and there are several common reasons, including:

• Failure to file in time or meet deadlines relating to requested paperwork
• Lack of proof that you have a disability preventing you from working
• The SSDA cannot get a hold of the applicant

No matter what the reason is, the denial letter should include an explanation of why the decision was made. If the decision was made because you are capable of working, it might be hard to fight the decision. If the decision was made because of one of the reasons listed above, you might want to fight it through the appeals process.

Gather More Evidence

The second thing you must do is gather more evidence to prove your claim, and this is especially important if you were denied for a lack of evidence. The SSDA is not going to approve a person for benefits if the person truly can work, and they base this decision on the evidence they receive with the application. Gathering more evidence may take some work, but it could be helpful in your case. Here are some examples of evidence you may need to get:

• Recent medical information – If you have additional bills from your doctor, a hospital, or other type of caregiver, you will need to make copies and submit them. These bills could be old bills you forgot to send in, or they could be new bills you just received in the mail.
• Statements – Another good type of evidence to send in is statements. These can be from the doctors treating you, your close friends and relatives, your counselor, or your employer. They should clearly state the disabilities and limitations you have, and they should be signed and dated.
• Journal – If you have been keeping a journal, you may want to consider submitting this too as evidence. A journal is useful because it is a written log describing how you feel and think. Your journal may have a lot of useful evidence in it that can prove your limitations and restrictions in life.
• A list of medications – The medications you take may also serve as proof of the condition you have. Make sure you create a list that is accurate and complete to send in with your appeal.

Winning a social security disability case is not usually easy, but it is possible. If you would like to learn more about your options, contact a social security disability lawyer in your area today.