Mr. Bothwell and his staff were not only knowledgeable and to the point, but took the time to answer all of my questions and kept in touch with me during the entire process.”
Do You Need Help Stabilizing Your Life?
You just need some support, something to keep you going, to help pay the bills, when a spinal injury has sidelined you from work.
Having bad back problems shouldn’t mean you’re left with nothing. Here is one important source of financial relief: Social Security Disability benefits.
With Social Security Disability, you get monthly checks and access to Medicare health coverage. Benefits protect your stability and independence.
But applying for disability benefits can be its own ordeal. A huge number of people get denied.
Spinal and back conditions come with special requirements. You have to show how your medical condition is more than someone’s typical complaint about back pain. It must force you from work.
If you’re in Yakima, Kennewick, Sunnyside, Spokane, Richland, Ellensburg, Wenatchee, Walla Walla, or anywhere in Central Washington, an experienced Washington disability lawyer from Bothwell & Hamill can help you through this.
If your back problems started with spinal injury at work, we can also help you get workers’ compensation benefits through the Washington Department of Labor & Industries.
It’s time for you to get the assistance you deserve.
Contact Us Today! »Get Help at Any Step in the Process
What Kinds of Spinal Injuries and Back Problems Can Qualify for Disability Benefits in Washington?
The Social Security Administration (SSA) maintains an official “listing of impairments” that can qualify for disability benefits.
Within that list, under the category of “musculoskeletal disorders,” Social Security provides guidelines on when a spinal or back condition is severe enough to qualify for benefits—and also what medical evidence you need to show for specific conditions.
The guidelines mention each of these conditions:
- Dislocation of vertebrae in the spine
- Fractures to bones in the spine
- Slipping vertebrae, also called spondylolisthesis
- Herniated disk from a tear in the spine
- Arthritic bone spurs that intrude on nerves
- A foreign object from an injury damaging the nerves
- Weakened bones, leading to fractures
- Facet arthritis from wear on cartilage
- Degenerative disk disease
- Lower back nerve pinching, called lumbar spinal stenosis
- A tumor intruding on spinal nerves
- Nerve root compression from various causes
- Neck pain, called cervical spine disorders
- Osteoarthritis of the spine, called spondylosis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Spinal arachnoiditis—swelling of membranes around nerves
If your spinal injury or diagnosis isn’t specifically listed, it doesn’t mean you can’t get benefits.
Your disability claim will require you to show the practical effects of your spinal condition on your life, regardless of diagnosis.
That means documenting what daily activities you can physically handle, or can’t handle.
Social Security will give you a rating on this called your “residual functional capacity.”
It’s understandable if you read all of this and it sounds too complicated.
An experienced disability lawyer can take on this process for you.
And it can really be worth it, because you’ll know someone capable is handling the legwork—and you PAY NO ATTORNEY FEE UNTIL YOU WIN benefits.
You can also get started with a FREE conversation with our Washington disability attorney team.
Learn More About Social Security Disability
Get all the information you need to make the best decisions about your health — and your future.
Proof You Need for a Spinal Injury Disability Claim: Objective Medical Evidence
Telling them about your pain, stiffness, loss of sensation or numbness, loss of motion, loss of strength or other symptoms won’t be enough for Social Security to award benefits and make your life easier.
You have to PROVE that your spinal injury, back pain or neck problems make it completely impossible for you to work—any job.
You do that with evidence, especially medical evidence that gives confirmation outside of your own word that your spinal conditions are serious. Social Security calls this “objective medical evidence.”
These types of evidence can qualify:
- X-rays
- CT scans
- MRIs
- Lab tests
- Muscle strength tests
- Doctor reports from physical exams
- Documentation of your medication regimen
- Records from surgeries
- Results of treatment, as reported by medical professionals
- Documented reasons why you need an assistive device
Social Security Disability lawyers, who deal with this every day, know what evidence to look for, how to get it, and how to show it to Social Security so government claims examiners understand why you need disability benefits.
Benefits can allow you to worry less about money and focus more on your own well-being when debilitating spinal injuries or related problems interrupt your ability to make a living.
The Washington disability lawyers at Bothwell & Hamill are here to help you win benefits, and move on to a better time in life.
Call Us Now! »More Questions?
You might have a lot of questions. Bothwell & Hamill has answers.
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