Johnstown Personality Disorder Disability Lawyer

Are you struggling with your emotions, relationships, or fears to the point that you can’t keep a steady job? Have you been diagnosed with a personality disorder or other mental illness? Our Johnstown personality disorder disability lawyer can review your situation to determine if you qualify for Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits.

If you are facing difficulty at work that you expect will last at least a year, we can manage the entire application process, including filing your initial claim and appeal. Our experienced Social Security Disability attorneys are available to go over your case and will use our firm’s 40 years of experience to fight for your benefits.

Our Johnstown, PA, Disability Lawyers Understand Personality Disorder and Can Seek Benefits for You

Personality disorders, in particular, can make it hard to relate to others, accomplish tasks, and stay focused. However, at Berger and Green, we have experience with cases involving personality disorders and the benefits process, so we can advocate for you.

We can help you with:

• Getting information: You may just be starting this process, so we are here to answer your questions. 
• Making sense of the application process:  Berger and Green can help you understand technical terms and make your case for receiving disability benefits.
• Reviewing your options: Our legal team will determine which benefits programs are appropriate for your situation and explain what you will need to apply for them.
• Filing the application: We don’t just file it on your behalf; we fill out the paperwork, ensuring you avoid common application mistakes.
• Appealing a decision: Our Johnstown, PA, attorneys can manage your claim denial and plan for the next steps of the appeals process.

We Can Assist With All Types of Personality Disorder Claims

The team at Berger and Green has evaluated thousands of disability cases over our decades of practice, including personality disorder claims. We can assist you if you are suffering from:

• Paranoid personality disorder
• Schizoid personality disorder
• Borderline personality disorder
• Antisocial personality disorder
• Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder

These are just a few disorders that could make you eligible for disability benefits. The SSA’s Listing of Impairments, also known as the Blue Book, includes others, and you could qualify even if you don’t have a Blue Book listing.

Regardless of your condition, if you can’t engage in substantial gainful activity, return to a previous job, or try a new one, and expect your symptoms to affect your work for at least a year, you could qualify for disability.

In other words, if your personality disorder affects your life, don’t hesitate to contact our Johnstown disability attorneys.

We Will Identify Your Eligibility for Personality Disorder Disability Benefits

Berger and Green’s Johnstown disability attorneys can help you get organized so we can prepare your application for a personality disorder claim. You will need to provide us with documentation, including:

• Medical evidence of your personality disorder
• Employment history for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
• Income and assets for Supplemental Security (Income)

Medical Documentation

Diagnostic test results, prescription medications, treatment plans, and doctor testimony can all serve as medical evidence for your Social Security Disability benefits claim. According to the Blue Book, your documentation must show you have a pervasive pattern of one or more of the following characteristics:

• Distrust or suspicion
• Social detachment
• Disregard for or violation of others’ rights
• Unstable relationships
• Excessive emotionality
• Feelings of inadequacy
• Perfectionism
• Aggressive outbursts

The evidence must also show that your disorder limits you daily and that one or more of the following occurs:

• Processing, recalling, and applying information
• Interacting with others
• Concentrating or maintaining pace
• Adapting or managing yourself

The evidence you must present will depend on your personality disorder and your exact circumstances. Our Johnstown personality disorder disability lawyers will tell you what documents to collect for your application and make sure Disability Determination Services can access that information.

Employment Documentation

Approval for SSDI benefits rests on your ability to show you’ve paid into Social Security through employment. The key to understanding SSDI is in the name—it’s like a form of insurance; instead of paying money through a premium, you pay through work. Our SSDI lawyers can explain how your employment records illustrate your work credits for these benefits.

Income Documentation

You might be able to receive SSI benefits if you earn less than the income limits for the year you apply. Unlike SSDI, you don’t have to have a certain amount of work credits to get SSI, although you could qualify for both disability benefits programs. The income limits for SSI include income and assets, so check with our attorneys to determine how your income should be calculated and documented.

Our Personality Disorder Attorneys Will Handle Filing Your SSD Claim and Appeal

You can contact our personality disorder disability benefits attorney in Johnstown at any point in this process. We can work by your side from the beginning, providing advice and advocacy through any of these steps:

1. We complete and file your application for disability benefits.
2. Disability Determination Services reviews your claim.
3. You receive a decision that either approves or denies benefits.
4. We file an appeal within 60 days if SSA denies your initial application.
5. Our attorneys will gather evidence to support your appeal.
6. A new examiner reviews your claim at the reconsideration stage.
7. If the denial stands, we will seek a hearing with an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ).
8. If the denial stands, we will file for an Appeals Council review.
9. Finally, if you still haven’t been approved, we can file a lawsuit in federal district court.

A claim denial starts another stage in the application process, allowing us to build a stronger case for your benefits and giving us multiple opportunities to represent you. As a result, never bow out after an initial denial—make your claim for benefits stronger with our help.

Our Johnstown Personality Disorder Disability Attorneys Can Manage Your SSD Disability Case

Berger and Green’s team understands the challenges of applying for benefits while managing a medical condition. You don’t have to go through this disability claims process alone.

Our Johnstown personality disorder disability lawyer can represent you at any stage of the Social Security Disability benefits process, fighting to get you the benefits you need. Contact us today for a free consultation.