Cavey Barrett Blog

How you can help your doctor help you win your Social Security Disability Claim | St. Petersburg Social Security Disability Attorney

You helping your doctor help you win your case? Isn’t that the doctors job? Well, actually, no. Do you know what is in your medical records? Do you why Social Security Disability gets your medical records? Social Security Disability claims are decided primarily based on the medical evidence in your file. That includes your doctors notes, discharge summary’s, physical therapy notes, and any residual functional capacity forms you doctors may review.

    Whether or not you get Social Security Disability benefits can come down to what medical evidence is in your file and what that evidence says about your ability or inability to work. It’s not about your diagnosis so much as the physical limitations that are caused by your medical condition. The Social Security Disability cases are won or lost on whether you medical conditions limit you so that you are unable to preform the work that you have done in the last fifteen years and whether or not those restrictions prohibit you from being able to do other employment.

    The Social Security Administration and the Administrative Law Judge that may review your file are looking for signs of limitations. Do you have difficulty sitting, are you unable to lift, do you have problems with your range of motion that restricts your ability to bend? Most doctors do an awful job of recording functional limitations in their medical notes. Quite frankly, it is not their fault because most of the patients do not come in to the doctor explaining their functional limitations rather they simply say that they hurt or that they may be better.

    It’s impossible for the Social Security Administration to determine what your physical capabilities are with those kind of notations. You can help your doctors help you by providing the doctor with a detailed written statement about the functional problems you have been having between each visit. If you have pain, let your doctor know. If you have trouble sitting, standing, or walking, you must let your doctor know. Your doctor isn’t going to ask you those questions because in large measure, they do not really impact diagnosis or treatment. Providing this information to your physician and having it in your medical chart will help you win your Social Security Disability Case.

Answering these broad-based questions isn't easy. Help is a phone call away. You can contact Nancy Cavey, an experienced long-term disability attorney at 727-894-3188.

Cavey and Barrett represent Social Security disability applicants in their initial social security disability claim, Request for Reconsdieration and at Hearings in front of the Social Security Administrative Law Judge. If you live in  Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando, Polk and Hillsbourogh Counties or St. Petersburg, Kennth City, St. Pete Beach, Safety Harbor, South St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Largo, Seminole, New Port Richey, Port Richey, Hudson. Brooksville, Tampa, South Tampa, Brandon, Zephyrhills, Lakeland, Plant City, Sun City, Ruskin, Oldsmar, or Valrico contact us. Nancy Cavey and Sharon Barrett, Tampa Bay Social Security lawyers, have written a free no-obligation book "Your Rights to Social Security Disability." This book which usually retails on Amazon.com for 14.99 is offered FREE OF CHARGE!