Gathering Medical Evidence

To succeed in obtaining disability benefits through the Social Security Administration (SSA), you usually need to submit a considerable amount of evidence about your medical condition and how it affects your life. Often, what seems like sufficient evidence for a reasonable person is not enough to satisfy the requirements created by the SSA. It can be difficult to know what to do when a claim is denied due to lack of evidence.

The team at Burgess & Christensen is ready to assist. We can help you gather the medical evidence you need to achieve success with your claim for benefits. Our firm focuses solely on helping clients gain the benefits they need when a disability interferes with the ability to work. We know what it takes to meet agency requirements, and we will dig deep to obtain the right evidence to support your goals. 

Because of our contingency fee arrangement, you do not have to pay for our assistance until you receive benefits, and the amount of assistance we provide will not increase the amount you pay. We are dedicated to helping you get the benefits you need and deserve so you can move forward with life.

Evidence of an Impairment

The SSA’s rules require medical evidence that establishes the existence of an impairment that interferes with the ability to work. An individual seeking benefits must present “objective medical evidence” in order to show that they have a medically determinable impairment that causes the person to be disabled. 

At Burgess & Christensen, we understand all the intricate details in the regulations that define the terms. We know what is considered “objective” and we know how to present this evidence persuasively once we obtain it.

Severity of Your Disability

The evidence not only needs to prove that you suffer from a disabling condition but also the degree of severity of that condition. The SSA is allowed to consider evidence from both medical and nonmedical sources to determine the degree to which your condition affects your ability to work. This can include evidence from:

• Your treating doctors
• Psychologists
• Physical Therapists
• Therapists and Counselors
• Teachers and Schools
• Employers

Evidence Pertaining to Symptoms

To show how symptoms of your condition affect your ability to perform daily functions that would be required in a work setting, the examiners at the SSA consider evidence about all types of issues that they believe could be related to the problems you have reported. They might look look for and review evidence about factors such as:

• What you do during the course of a day
• Where, when and how often you experience pain
• The actions that make your condition or symptoms worse
• The types of medications you take and their side effects, as well as other treatment you use to reduce pain or other symptoms
• Other factors related to your functional limitations

Let Burgess & Christensen Help You Gather Evidence to Support Your Claim for Benefits

The process of proving that you qualify to receive disability benefits can be dishearteningly difficult and frustrating. Allow us to help.

We know what is expected and how to succeed with the process. Our team can assist right from the start and keep working with you until you receive the benefits you deserve. For a free consultation to find out more about how we can help, contact us today.