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Many Social Security disability applicants often get tripped up by the process. They may assume they qualify as “disabled” based on a prior doctor's diagnosis or state-agency decision. But Social Security has its own standards for assessing disability. And if you proceed without fully developing the record in support of your claim, you are likely to be denied benefits, even if your case has merit.
Appeals Court Upholds Social Security Decision Despite ALJ's Failure to Fully Develop the Record
A recent decision from the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, Elder v. Berryhill, helps illustrate the hurdles that disability applicants face. The plaintiff in this case applied for disability benefits in 2012, alleging he had been unable to work since 2010 due to a number of physical impairment.
The plaintiff presented his own case to an administrative law judge (ALJ) without the assistance of a qualified disability attorney. At the hearing, the plaintiff said the Illinois Department of Human Services “deemed him disabled and provided him with a home-care assistant.” The plaintiff further testified he suffered from “excessive pain” and required constant medication.
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