Indiana Social Security Disability Lawyer Blog

Many Indiana residents living with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) may be eligible for Social Security Disability benefits. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is an injury caused by repetitive movements that strain the median nerve of the carpal tunnel area of the wrist. This results in tissue enlargement that pinches the median nerve running through your hand. Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome may include sensations of burning or tingling, loss of grip strength or dexterity, locking of joints, swelling, inflammation, or pain.

Currently the Social Security Administration has no entry in the Listing of Impairments for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. This is why most people do not know that they may be eligible for Social Security Disability benefits. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome does not have a entry in the listing of impairments because it is not considered one of the more common disabilities. A likely reason for this is because most people with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can perform other aspects of their job. Typing may be hard for someone living with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome but answering the phone or going to meetings may not require repetitive use of the hands resulting in pain.

While Carpal Tunnel Syndrome may not be recognized in the listing of impairments, it can be considered a disabling condition by the Social Security Administration. An Administrative Law Judge may find Carpal Tunnel Syndrome prevents you from returning to past employment, and may find that due to your condition there are no jobs in the economy in significant numbers you can preform. Indiana Residents that have questions as to if their condition is severe enough to receive benefits may want to contact a Social Security Disability Attorney.

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Many Indiana residents wonder if it is possible to apply for Social Security Disability benefits online. It is actually a fairly easy process with only four main steps that can be followed on the Social Security Administration website. The first thing to do is log on to the Social Security Administration website at http://www.ssa.gov. Next, click on the Disability Benefits link in the middle of the page. This brings you to a page that is titled "Apply Online for Disability Benefits". At the bottom of this page the four main steps are outlined for you.

The first step is to review the disability checklist. This checklist consists of all the information that you need to complete the Disability Application and the Disability Report. If you click the link at this step, it will take you to the Adult Disability Checklist. On this page there is a printable version of the list.

The second step is to fill out the application itself. If you click on the link in the second step it takes you to a page with three important sections. The first one is "using this application". This link will take you to the instructions for the Social Security Disability benefits application. The second section is the bullet list of links to help with other questions. The third section is the last section on the page that is the start of the application process for Social Security Disability benefits.

The third step in applying for Social Security Disability benefits online is to complete the Disability Report. This step is very similar to the second step because of the three main components on the Adult Disability Report page. The first part is instructions on how to fill out the form, the second part is links for other questions or problems, and the third part is starting the report.

The final step in the process of applying for Social Security Disability benefits online is filling out and signing the "Authorization to Disclose Information to the SSA" form. To complete this step you must print out the form, fill it out, and be sure to sign it. After you have filled it out, you may either drop it off at the Social Security Administration building or have it mailed to the Social Security Administration.

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A common question that many Indiana disability applicants have may be: why does the Social Security Administration care about my work history? Sometimes at an Administrative Law Judge hearing in order to receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, the judge and the job expert must find that you cannot return to any past work along with meeting other standards. It is important that in describing your past work history that you are very thorough. The more information that you give to your attorney, the judge, and the court in general, may increase your chances at winning your social security disability claim. When the court uses the phrase "past work" they are talking about any job that you have held for at least three months in the past 15 years. Any job older than the 15 year period is irrelevant because the person is likely to have lost the skill for the job or the technology they used is now outdated.

After looking at your current abilities and disabilities the court will determine a RFC (residual functional capacity). This is a rating on how much work and what kind of work you can do. You may not be able to work construction, but a retail job may not be out of the question. This is why it is important to give an accurate past work history. The more details you give, the better the court can compare your prior skills to your current RFC. Social Security Disability Attorney Scott D. Lewis often finds Indiana disability claimants have a difficult time remembering past work details. It may be helpful if Indiana Social Security Disability claimants make notes prior to the hearing in an Indiana courtroom to help them adequately describe prior employment.

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It is estimated that by the end of the year 2010 a little over 43,000 people will have been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the United States. Some of these people are Indiana residents wondering if they can receive social security disability benefits for this condition. Pancreatic cancer is in section 13.20 in the listing of impairments under malignant neoplastic diseases. As defined by The Mayo Clinic, Pancreatic Cancer is cancer of the organ that lies directly under your stomach. The pancreas releases enzymes that help digest food and hormones for your metabolism. Some symptoms of pancreatic cancer may include pain in your upper abdomen, jaundice, loss of appetite, weight loss, and clinical depression. No one knows for sure what causes pancreatic cancer but there may be some risk factors. These may include age over 60 years old, smoking, obesity, and African-American ethnicity. There are many different tests that a doctor may perform to determine if someone has pancreatic cancer. The most common is a biopsy, while an x-ray or a CT scan might also be used.

Indiana residents attempting to receive social security disability benefits from the social security administration may be interested in knowing the different stages of pancreatic cancer. There are four main stages of pancreatic cancer. Stage one is cancer in the pancreas only. Stage two is after the cancer has spread to nearby tissue and possibly the lymph nodes. Stage three is when the cancer has spread to the major surrounding blood vessels and the lymph nodes. Stage four is cancer that has spread to all surrounding organs and most of the abdomen. There are two main treatments for pancreatic cancer. The first is surgery. This is only possible if the cancer is in its early phases. This procedure involves removing the pancreatic head if the cancer has not spread any farther. If the cancer has spread farther than the pancreatic head, then chemotherapy may be the next best option. Chemotherapy is used because of the benefit of survival and it may improve the quality of life in general for the patient. The preceding information is intended as a summary of information from other sources, and is not intended to be used as medical or legal advice.

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Emphysema affects 2 million Americans annually. People with this condition often wonder if they can receive social security disability benefits. The answer is yes, you may be able to receive social security disability benefits for emphysema and other lung conditions including asthma, cystic fibrosis, and lung cancer. Mayo Clinic defines emphysema as a condition that limits the amount of airflow when you breathe out. Some symptoms of emphysema might be shortness of breath and/or expansion of the chest caused by the trapped air in the lungs. The primary cause of emphysema is the smoking of cigarettes, but it can also be caused by an alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency.

The diagnosis of emphysema will be confirmed by a pulmonary function test and most likely an x-ray. Emphysema is an irreversible degenerative disease. The only thing to do to slow the progression is to stop smoking and/or not breathing any other lung irritants in. Pulmonary rehabilitation can help improve the patient's quality of life and teach them how to manage their condition, but will not cure them. The only true cure for emphysema is a lung transplant but many of the patients are not strong enough to survive the surgery. This is due to the many drugs that emphysema patients are given to help the quality of life that cause damage to the other organs. The risk of infection is also very great with transplants because of the anti-rejection drugs that the patients must take. These drugs suppress the immune system therefore making infections deadly.

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