Winning a Social Security disability claim isn’t always easy, but if you are suffering from an upper extremity fracture that is impacting your quality of life and keeping you from getting and keeping a job because your arm or hand just doesn’t work very well anymore, sometimes it is the only route available to you.
So what do you need to know before you file disability for upper extremity fractures? One of the most important things to understand is that there are two ways you can be approved.
The first is by meeting the requirements spelled out for a specific disability in the SSA’s Listings of Impairments. If someone can show that their medical issue matches one of these definitions, they are automatically approved to start receiving benefits. Ideally, this is the approval route that you want to take because it is the most straightforward way to go.
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If, however, you are suffering from a problem that doesn’t quite match up to a definition on their list, it’s still possible to win your claim. You will need to go through the SSA’s Five Step Sequential Evaluation Process and show that the issue you’re dealing with is the equivalent of one of the disabilities recognized by the SSA.
Since matching a condition on the list is preferable, though, let’s start there.
The Criteria to Meet for Listing 1.07
The definition for this listing is long winded, but the basic idea is that you broke one of your arms, wrists, or hands badly and are continuing to go through surgery – or surgeries – so the doctor can prevent amputation and possibly make that limb function close to the way it used to. Because the break was so bad and you are continuing to receive treatment, you haven’t been able to use that extremity for at least 12 months, or the medical expectation is that you shouldn’t be able to use it for that long.
In order to prove that you fit the description above, you need objective medical evidence that your doctors have obtained from specific tests. Namely, the SSA wants to see positive results from an elbow extension test or a bone scan.
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Remember, matching the definition of a listing isn’t the only way to get the benefits that you need. The process isn’t quite as straightforward and you may want to seek out the help of a legal expert to guide you, but lots of people still win their Social Security disability claim by going through the Five Step Sequential Evaluation Process and proving to the SSA that their condition keeps them from working in any position in the country that their background would otherwise enable them to do.
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If you want the best chance at getting the benefits you deserve regarding upper extremity fractures, talk with an experienced Social Security disability lawyer today. Learn more about the claims process by reading our Social Security Disability eBook for free!
Call or text 800-562-9830 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form