If you have suffered from soft tissue injuries after a car accident that seems to limit your ability to work, you may qualify for disability benefits. Such benefits are designed to replace your income when you become disabled and cannot perform any work due to injuries suffered.
While SFIs may last for a few weeks, others affect the muscular system and lead to a lack of mobility. This may lender you incapable of performing any work that may demand disability benefits.
Can My Soft Tissue Injuries Qualify For Social Security Disability?
If you cannot work due to injuries suffered after a car accident, it’s vital to contact a car accident lawyer near me who can guide you on whether your injuries may qualify for disability benefits. It’s not uncommon for a car accident to leave you with broken arms, neck injuries, and traumatic brain injuries, among others, such as soft tissue injuries. Some soft tissue injuries take too long before they appear. While some may take a few weeks, others take months. Therefore, it’s advisable to seek medical treatment immediately. Such injuries may have a negative impact on your life, where some even persist for any year or lifetime. If such injuries prevent you from working, then you may consider filing for disability benefits.
For any SFIs to qualify for disability listing, you must have a significant loss of mobility. The loss of mobility may also include a lack of muscle movements or significant loss of limb function that must last for at least a year. Again, the pain emanating from such injuries must lead to a determinable cause. That way, it becomes considerable sufficient to qualify for disability benefits. You can either receive:
- Short term liability: You can get short term disability benefits if your soft injuries only resulted in a short absence from work. For instance, if you have been disabled and you could not work for 30 days.
- Long term liability: If your injuries resulted in an extended disability that may have led to an off work of approximately 180 days, you could file for such benefits.
Typically, you must be unable to work on your current job for you to receive your benefits. And after two years, your disability must lead to loss of function such that you can’t perform on any job. Also, you must have medical records proving that your condition limits your ability to perform your day to day activities. This is made clear by the residual functional capacity, which can be performed to evaluate whether you can perform such activities.
How To Prove Soft Tissue Injuries For Disability Listing
The process of applying for disability benefits is not easy. That’s why most victims prefer hiring a lawyer to guide them in the process. For one, a lawyer will not get paid until you receive your disability benefits. To get soft tissue injuries disability benefits, you have to prove that:
- There is no mobility to the affected parts of the body. As such, the SSA will look at whether you can perform normal daily activities. This can also be used to determine whether you can perform similar activities at the workplace.
- You received medical treatment immediately after the accident, and this has continued. You can also show that you have tried all forms of treatment, such as surgery and therapy, to recover.
Filing For Soft Injuries Disability Benefits
Replacement of your income after a disability ensures that you cannot lose after the paycheck is cut off. Thus, you may consider having a lawyer guide you on how to prove and file for disability. Once you have learned about your disability, you should apply for such benefits within one year following your disability. After a claim is approved, your disability will be examined as often as possible. The SSA will demand to see your medical reports, including any MRIs and scans that may help them evaluate your disability. If your condition improves, the insurance company may stop offering disability benefits. But, where you remain permanently disabled, you will receive disability benefits until your normal retirement age. The SSA has to review your residual functional capacity to determine your inability to work.
Disability benefits protect your inability to work. And you can earn a living even if you can no longer work. If you can no longer work due to soft tissue injuries suffered after a car accident, you don’t have to wait for the insurance company to approve your disability claim. You can retain an experienced personal injury lawyer who has dealt with soft tissue injuries and will explain whether your case is eligible for disability benefits. If you have any questions regarding your soft injuries and whether you can receive disability benefits, the same lawyer will help you understand the best options for a successful claim.