Sometimes when you break your leg or fracture your pelvis, the injury is so severe that problems related to it just won’t go away and you need to apply for Social Security disability benefits. Obviously, though, breaking your leg isn’t enough in and of itself to qualify for disability. The SSA has specific criteria that you have to meet.
The clearest path to getting the benefits you need is to meet the definition laid out by the SSA in their Listings of Impairments. These listings include specific criteria for each qualifying medical issue, and if you are able to show that your condition matches a listing, disability benefits will be yours – you automatically qualify.
If you’ve broken your leg or fractured your pelvis, the listing that applies to you is “1.06 Fracture of the Femur, Tibia, Pelvis, or One or More of the Tarsal Bones.” The specific guidelines for this listing require claimants to show that:
- A solid union between the affected bones cannot be seen on medically acceptable imaging devices that are considered appropriate and it is not “medically solid.”
- You suffer from an “inability to ambulate effectively” and have dealt with this (or it is believed that you will have to continue dealing with this) for at least 12 months.
Naturally, you or your doctor can’t just write a letter to the SSA telling them that the above is true. They want proof in the form of objective medical tests. Positive results on the following can help your case:
- Trendelenburg’s Sign
- Calcaneum Ultrasound
- Bone Scan
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In addition to these requirements, the SSA makes it a rule not to consider disabilities based on listings until a claimant has been unable to work for 12 months or longer, or the prevailing medical opinion is that they will be unable to work for that long. But don’t give up if you are unable to meet the specific criteria of a listing; there’s another way.
Prove Yourself with the Five Step Sequential Evaluation Process
Even if you are not able to match the definition of a disability in the Listings of Impairments, it’s possible for you to get benefits. The SSA has a system called the Five Step Sequential Evaluation Process that claimants can use to show that their condition is equal to something in the Listings of Impairments. Using this process, you need to prove that the debilitating condition you have is preventing you from working at any job in the country that would otherwise match your level of experience and education.
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How do you do this? The process isn’t easy, but a knowledgeable Social Security disability attorney will be able to guide you through your claim and answer any Social Security questions that you have. Get the benefits you need and deserve – contact a professional now for help. 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
