What to Look for in a Disability Lawyer for Liver Disease
If you’re struggling with liver disease, you may plan to rely on Social Security benefits to help you pay the bills while your condition prevents you from working. However, Before you can receive these benefits, you need to go through a strict application process that rejects approximately two-thirds of applicants — and for liver disease, the window of opportunity is particularly narrow because the Social Security Administration has a very specific definition of liver disease that requires that your condition be particularly severe before you are eligible for benefits. That’s why it’s so important to have a capable lawyer to help you with your disability claim for liver disease, so you can have the best chance possible of getting it approved.
The SSA’s “blue book” of disability listings requires that applicants with liver disease be diagnosed with either end-stage liver disease or chronic liver disease that’s lasted at least six months. Additionally, applicants need to have had at least one of the following complications: excess fluid in the peritoneal or pleural cavities, hepatic encephalopathy, bacterial peritonitis, hepatorenal or hepatopulmonary syndrome, or hemorrhaging in the esophageal or gastrointestinal tracts.
There are also several other conditions that you need to meet to be eligible for benefits. The SSA will check that you earn less than $1,170 per month and that you have had liver disease (which has caused a disability) for at least 12 months (or it is expected to last at least that long). However, meeting these criteria does not ensure that you will receive benefits, but only that you are eligible to apply — which is why you need the help of a qualified attorney.
A disability lawyer will first help you figure out whether or not you qualify to apply for disability benefits, then will help guide you through the process of filling out paperwork, collecting evidence, and submitting everything to the SSA. If your application is denied, your attorney will help you with the appeals process and even argue your case in court. That’s why, when choosing an attorney for your situation, you should look for someone who has experience working with disability claims specifically relating to liver disease if possible, or at least has represented clients with a variety of different disabilities that include liver disease. You should also look for someone with years of experience in disability law, as well as someone that is recommended by your family and friends.
