Social Security for Back and Neck Injuries
Long Beach Lawyers Discuss
Social Security for Back Injury –
Social Security processes more disability claims for back pain and back injuries than any other disability. However, they only approve a small percentage of applicants, representing what are usually only the most severe cases.
To qualify for disability benefits for a neck or back injury, you must meet the same Social Security requirements as any injury or disability: you must prove you have a “medically determinable” impairment that lasts for at least one year, that prevents you from performing any work.
This means that x-rays, MRIs, and doctor’s notes after a physical examination must show that your back pain is caused by some physical abnormality of the spine or spinal canal. Having “pain” is not enough – even if it is severe. In other words, if you have back pain without being able to “prove” a physical impairment that normally produces pain symptoms like yours, you are unlikely to be awarded disability benefits.
Additionally, back pain caused by obvious injuries like muscle strains and/or bone fractures usually heal within a few weeks or months – so they won’t qualify for Social Security disability or SSI because they will not be expected to last a year.
Causes of Spinal & Back Injuries that May Qualify for Social Security:
• Congenital Conditions (birth defects)
• Hereditary Conditions (inherited conditions)
• Prolonged desk or computer work that damages the spine or disks
• Sports injuries or accidents (Skiing, football, climbing, diving, etc.)
• Heavy lifting, loading or unloading in warehouses, factories or trucks
• Repeated opening of heavy doors, such as in hospitals
• Falls from ladders, roofs, scaffoldings, trees or other high places
• Car, truck, motorcycle or boat accidents
• Impacts from falling objects, machinery, or equipment, etc.
Back & Spinal Injuries that May Qualify for Social Security:
• osteoarthritis
• rheumatoid arthritis,
• degenerative disk disease
• arachnoiditis,
• spondylolisthesis,
• spondylitis,
• other inflammatory conditions
• spinal stenosis,
• nerve root compression,
• other nerve issues,
• herniated discs,
• slipped discs,
• scoliosis
Because back injuries sometimes involve soft tissue they can be even harder to document with xrays – and can often be more difficult to prove than other injuries. Additionally, there can be disagreements and disputes between an insurance company doctor and your own family doctor about how to treat your back, neck or spinal condition.
That is why it is important to have an experienced Social Security attorney if you are applying for – or appealing – benefits for a back, neck or spine injury.
Long Beach California Social Security Lawyers
Our experienced lawyers have handled thousands of Social Security cases, and they know what the SSA is “looking for”. They also know through years of experience “what works and what doesn’t” and they know exactly what documentation the SSA needs to approve your back or spinal injury claim, so they are able to obtain the maximum Social Security benefits for which you qualify.
