Social Security Disability

You should do anything legitimate you can to help your Social Security Disability case.

Because it is very tough to win these days.

Disability Judges work under heightened scrutiny and there are large number of cases coming before them.

You must stand out in some way.

Remember, Judges are human.

Making your situation pop, believable, understandable and deserving of compassion is vital.

Beyond making sure that you tell your doctor your major problems and limitations, you must tell a good story at the hearing.

Stories have stood out over the centuries. Great truths are wrapped in the stories that Homer, Jesus, and Shakespeare told and stick in our minds.

It is not enough to explain that you have chest pain. It is more memorable to testify that when you start cleaning the kitchen you have to rest after a couple minutes because of chest pain.

It is not enough to testify that you cannot stand or walk for very long. You should be able to tell the Judge that after you walk around the block your arthritis kicks in with shooting pain and you need to sit down and rest for 10 to 20 minutes.

Judges often equate daily activities with being able to work full time.

You must paint the picture of your day and how you are off task for over 20 percent of the day due to pain and why you need to miss more than 2 days per month.

It is important to do more than show up for your hearing.

Questions about the best way to tell your story? Feel free to contact Illinois Social Security Disability Attorney Dirk May with Williams and Swee at 309-827-4371.

Social Security Disability cases are getting harder and harder to win.

Because of this you must do everything possible to make sure that your case is as strong as it can be.

The key to almost any Social Security Disability case is your medical treatment and medical records.

You must prove that you have limitations that keep you from working any job in most cases, and when you are over age 50 you have to prove you cannot do past work and are limited to at best to a sit down job.

As a result, it is very important that you tell your doctors about your serious problems and how they limit you around the house because you want this to show up in your medical records when the Administrative Law Judge reviews them.

For instance, you should explain any problems you have with walking, standing, lifting and sitting. Such as, I can only walk 1 block because of the arthritis in my legs.

Other areas to focus on are the need to elevate your legs because of swelling and pain. Problems with focus and concentration because of chronic pain or depression. Problems reaching, handling, fingering and gripping because of numbness, tingling, pain in the hands or arms.

Information like this in your medical records supports your testimony at the disability hearing and is crucial to winning your case.

Question about your case? Feel free to contact Illinois Social Security Disability Attorney Dirk May with Williams and Swee at 309-827-4371.