Pittsburgh Budd-Chiari Syndrome Disability Lawyer

Getting Disability Based on Symptoms of Budd-Chiari Syndrome in Pittsburgh

Budd-Chiari Syndrome can cause serious complications related to your liver. If these complications prevent you from working, it could become difficult to make ends meet and take care of your family. You could qualify to get disability benefits based on your impairments. If you qualify, you can receive monthly payments from Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

Berger and Green can help you fight for Social Security Disability for Budd-Chiari Syndrome. Our team can look over your paperwork before you submit it to ensure everything is in order. We can also help you fight a denial of benefits by handling your appeal. Call us today at 412-661-1400 to talk to a member of our team about your Pittsburgh disability claim.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) publishes a book of impairment listings called the Blue Book. Each listing includes specific medical criteria you must meet to get disability for a medical condition.

The SSA most commonly evaluates Budd-Chiari Syndrome under Section 5.05. To get disability, your symptoms need to meet specific criteria outlined in this impairment listing. You also need to prove your case with medical evidence that includes:

• Appropriate medical imaging; and
• Appropriate laboratory and clinical testing; and
• Information about your treatment and the outcome; and
• Other notes about your condition and treatment from your doctor; and
• Any other medical information about your symptoms and hospitalizations.

Depending on the cause of your Budd-Chiari Syndrome, you might also qualify under other impairment listings, such as those for cancer, bone marrow abnormalities, or blood clotting disorders.

If you have Budd-Chiari and need benefits, we recommend discussing your condition with your doctor. Your doctor can help your case by determining if your condition is serious enough to meet an impairment listing, and ensuring you have the proper evidence in your medical record to qualify.

Getting Disability If You Do Not Meet Criteria in an Impairment Listing

You do not have to meet Blue Book listing to get disability. If you do not meet the criteria, but you cannot work and earn a living, you might be able to get benefits based on your Residual Functional Capacity (RFC). Your RFC is an evaluation of your abilities despite your condition. There are three ways the Office of Disability Determination Services can evaluate your RFC:

• The examiner on your case can evaluate you based on your application and medical records; or
• Your doctor can evaluate you based on their knowledge of your case; or
• A third-party doctor can examine you and evaluate your abilities.

If your evaluation shows you cannot successfully hold your current job, your last job, or another job you might qualify for, you will likely receive approval for benefits.

Meeting the Technical Qualifications for Disability Benefits

While getting approval for disability based on your impairment is a challenging part of getting benefits, it is not the only part of the process. Each program also has technical requirements you must meet to get benefits. If you do not meet these requirements, you could get a technical denial.

To meet the requirements for SSDI, you must have:

• Work credits earned by working before your impairment; and
• Recent enough work credits to get benefits.

To satisfy SSI requirements, you have to meet:

• Strict limitations on household income; and
• Limits on assets.

The local Social Security field office checks to ensure you meet these qualifications before forwarding your claim to the Office of Disability Determination Services. This means you might receive a denial without an examiner ever checking to see if you meet a qualifying impairment listing. Other common reasons we see people getting technical denials include:

• Incomplete applications; and
• Answers entered in the wrong place on an application; and
• A name or birthdate that does not match a Social Security Number; and
• Other incorrect answers.

You can call us to help you with your application and avoid these errors. If you do receive a technical denial, we can help you file your appeal. We will explain what went wrong, request an appeals hearing, and present evidence to show you meet the qualifications.

We Can Help You Appeal a Disability Denial in Pittsburgh.

Unfortunately, many people who apply for a disability program receive a denial letter based on their initial claim. These applicants have to file an appeal to get the monthly payments they need to make ends meet. This could happen to you.

The appeals process can take more than a year to complete, so it is important to get started right away. We recommend giving us a call as soon as possible after you receive your letter. We only have 60 days to request an appeals hearing on your behalf. We can also:

• Help you understand why the SSA denied your claim; and
• Identify and collect evidence to prove your impairment; and
• Explain what to expect every step of the way; and
• Build a strong case for approval, back pay, and retroactive benefits; and
• Present your case to the Administrative Law Judge during your hearing; and
• Ask the Judge to overturn your denial and grant you full benefits.

We are often able to get our clients approved for benefits during this hearing with the Administrative Law Judge. However, if we cannot get the benefits you need during the hearing, we can discuss other options for continuing your appeal.

Talk to an Attorney About Getting Disability for Budd-Chiari Syndrome in Pittsburgh

Berger and Green will fight for the disability benefits you need, even if the SSA already denied your claim. We can explain how to qualify for benefits, check your application before you file it, or represent you during your appeals hearing. We might even be able to file a personal injury lawsuit on your behalf if your impairment occurred because of a negligence accident.

Call our Pittsburgh office today at 412-661-1400 for your free case review.