How Do I Qualify For Disability Benefits After A Car Accident?

Categories: Dealing with Insurance CompaniesPublished On: January 5th, 2021

Most of the injuries suffered after car accidents push victims to pursue a personal injury claim. However, if the injuries are so severe to cause a long term disability, one may also be eligible to receive disability benefits. To get the benefits, you must be unable to work either due to the physical or mental injuries suffered. These disabilities must have impaired you, such as you cannot work for a year or longer. If you have suffered a disability from accidents in Anchorage today, you may qualify for disability benefits from Social Security Administration (SSA).

How Will The Social Security Administration Decide My Disability?

Any person who is to qualify for disability benefits must have worked in a job covered by social security. Again, to be covered, the injury must have met specific criteria under the definition of disability in SSA. Anyone who meets the criteria is paid disability benefits per month until you get back to work. For those victims who don’t recover and remain with the disability, they continue receiving the benefits until their retirement age where the pay is converted to retirement benefits. To get these benefits, the SSA must prove that:

  • One cannot work: If you’re unable to work, the Disability Determination Services (DDS) have to decide whether your injuries are severe to prevent you from completing any gainful activity.
  • Due to the disability, you are expected to perform no job for a year or more.
  • You cannot shift to any other job due to your medical condition: The SSA must determine that you cannot return to your previous work, nor can you do any other type of work. In this case, the victim’s medical condition, age or past work experience will be considered.

 Suppose you have been involved in a car accident and suffered injuries that may lead to long term disability. In that case, the SSA will have to determine your residual functional capacity (RFC) to determine whether there are chances of performing even the simplest jobs. They do this mainly by reviewing your medical records. To have your disability accepted by the SSA, you need to make sure that:

  • You complied with the treatments recommended by the physician.
  • Whether the treatment you have received has been successful.
  • Whether you still have complications. If there are medical complications, your doctor has to indicate your inability to perform work duties.

If the SSA cannot prove the above, then your claim is denied.

Consider Working With A Lawyer

 If you are a car accident victim who cannot perform any duty you did previously due to injuries suffered, the SSA has to determine whether you can perform less demanding jobs. Through careful evaluation that it’s impossible for you to work, the SSA will consider your case as valid, and your claim will be approved. However, where it’s proven you can perform simple jobs, your claim will automatically be denied. If the agency feedback seems to contradict with how you are feeling and the doctor’s report, you may appeal with the help of an experienced lawyer. To find out more how to go about your disability after a car accident, you can speak to an experienced disability lawyer.

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