Daniel originally came to Balin Law because of a hearing impairment. Unfortunately, the Social Security Administration rarely finds one disabled solely on a hearing impairment unless at least one of two requirements are met. We asked Daniel if he was suffering from any other conditions and he said he had back pain that really hindered him from working.
Daniel had several tests done and doctors found that he had arthritis in his back. “I couldn’t do my job because of my arthritis,” Daniel said.
“I chose to hire Balin Law with my filing because I live around Amherst and they had an office very close to me. It was very convenient and I decided to stop in,” Daniel continued.
Balin Law worked with Daniel and his Social Security disability claim and was awarded a fully favorable decision. “I had a good experience with Balin Law. They told me what I needed to do and they followed through on their end. They did a really great job. There’s not a whole lot more I can say about Balin Law other than that they did their job well.” – Daniel, Balin Law Client
Social Security disability benefits for hearing loss
If you have hearing loss, you may be eligible for Social Security disability benefits. The Social Security Administration requires at least one of the two requirements to be met. According to the Social Security Administration’s guidelines:
2.10 Hearing loss not treated with cochlear implantation.
A. An average air conduction hearing threshold of 90 decibels or greater in the better ear and an average bone conduction hearing threshold of 60 decibels or greater in the better ear.
OR
B. A word recognition score of 40 percent or less in the better ear determined using a standardized list of phonetically balanced monosyllabic words.
2.11 Hearing loss treated with cochlear implantation.
A. Consider under a disability for 1 year after initial implantation.
OR
B. A word recognition score of 60 percent or less determined using the HINT, 1 year after initial implantation.
Disability for arthritis in lower back
Having arthritis in the lower back can be debilitating. On top of Daniel’s difficulty of hearing, doctors found him to have arthritis in his back.
The Social Security Administration has a set of guidelines for those suffering from arthritis in the lower back. According to the SSA, one must meet at least one of the following conditions to be found disabled:
1.04 Disorders of the spine
(e.g., herniated nucleus pulposus, spinal arachnoiditis, spinal stenosis, osteoarthritis, degenerative disc disease, facet arthritis, vertebral fracture), resulting in compromise of a nerve root (including the cauda equina) or the spinal cord. With:
A. Evidence of nerve root compression characterized by neuro-anatomic distribution of pain, limitation of motion of the spine, motor loss (atrophy with associated muscle weakness or muscle weakness) accompanied by sensory or reflex loss and, if there is involvement of the lower back, positive straight-leg raising test (sitting and supine);
OR
B. Spinal arachnoiditis, confirmed by an operative note or pathology report of tissue biopsy, or by appropriate medically acceptable imaging, manifested by severe burning or painful dysesthesia, resulting in the need for changes in position or posture more than once every 2 hours;
OR
C. Lumbar spinal stenosis resulting in pseudoclaudication, established by findings on appropriate medically acceptable imaging, manifested by chronic nonradicular pain and weakness, and resulting in inability to ambulate effectively, as defined in 1.00B2b.
Summary
Sometimes, having one disabling condition may not be enough to receive Social Security disability benefits. Talking to an experienced disability lawyer or law firm can help guide you and explore your options.
If you have a hearing impairment and/or arthritis that is hindering you from working like you once could, contact Balin Law to learn about your options.
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