Common Medical Conditions/Disabilities

Your Injury, Illness or Condition May Make You Eligible For SSD Benefits-Let Us Prove It For You

To be eligible for Social Security Disability benefits, you must prove to the Social Security Administration that you are unable to work due to physical or emotional impairments that are serious enough to prevent you from participating in any income-generating or gainful activity. You must also convince SSA that your condition has either lasted, or is expected to last, for at least one year or to result in death. If you have a denied Social Security Disability claim, you will need to prepare an even stronger argument to an SSD appeals court. As experienced SSD attorneys, we're the team you want on your side to help you avoid making the many common SSD application mistakes that derail your SSD claims.

What medical conditions qualify for Social Security Disability?

Qualifying conditions are medical conditions that significantly limit your ability to do basic work-related tasks: lifting, standing, walking, remembering, and so on. The medical condition must last for at least 12 months or be expected to result in death. Some of the medical conditions and disabilities that SSD benefits may cover include:

Anxiety
Arthritis
Asbestosis
Back pain due to back injury
Bipolar disorder
Blood disease
Breathing impairments
Broken pelvis
Burn injuries
Cancer
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Cerebral palsy
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome/Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy
Degenerative disc disease
Depression
Diabetes, Type I or II
Digestive system problems
Eye problems or loss of vision
Fibromyalgia
Head or brain injury
Heart disease

HIV or AIDS
Immune system disorders
Knee injury
Liver disease
Lupus
Loss of limb or amputation
Mesothelioma
Multiple sclerosis
Muscular dystrophy
Narcolepsy
Nervous System Disorders
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Renal or kidney problems
Respiratory illness
Rheumatoid arthritis
Ruptured disc
Schizophrenia
Shoulder or neck injury
Sick building syndrome
Silicosis
Stroke

The SSA “Blue Book” lists specific medical conditions that it will consider for review for people applying for SSDI. However, even if your diagnosis isn’t on the list, the SSA may still consider it equivalent to a listed condition, if you have the right medical evidence to prove that you are significantly impaired.

What conditions are automatically approved for Social Security Disability?

The short answer is “none.” Your eligibility for SSDI is based on your ability to work, not your specific medical diagnosis. The same medical condition (or combination of medical conditions) might be manageable for one person and totally disabling for another. It depends on your work history, transferable skills, and age.

If you are under 50, the Social Security Administration will generally expect you to pursue retraining and a career change if possible, so it can be harder to qualify for benefits. Once you are over 50, the SSA becomes more permissive and looks at the jobs you are already trained to do.

Certain severe medical conditions, such as loss of a leg, total deafness or blindness, immobility, HIV/AIDS, spinal cord injury, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), are considered “presumptive” disabilities. These conditions can get you faster approval and payment. But even those conditions are not “automatic” as such; you still need to prove that you are unable to work.

An Experienced, Reliable New York Disability Lawyer Who Will Fight For Your Rights

The New York Social Security Disability attorneys at Pasternack Tilker Ziegler Walsh Stanton & Romano, LLP represent clients from Brooklyn and Rockland to Long Island and Manhattan. Call us today at (800) 692-3717 or contact us online for a free evaluation. We know SSD law inside and out, and will work hard for you.