If you suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome and your disability benefit claim was denied, you have 60 days from the receipt of the decision to file an appeal.
More often than not, appeals have a better chance for approval because you can make sure that you have more documentation and evidence than your initial appeal.
When it comes to filing for Social Security disability benefits, everything comes down to evidence so these three tips will help you to make your appeal as strong as possible.
Tip #1 - Consider Your Side Effects
If your disability claim was denied, you need to look at the medical documentation you submitted initially to see if there are places where you can bolster the information to prove that your carpal tunnel syndrome is severe enough to prevent you from working.
One way to do that is to consider the side effects of the condition and the treatment. When it comes to carpal tunnel syndrome, you might receive cortisone injections that lead to discomfort, or after having surgery you could be dealing with issues related to your recovery.
For example, your nerves might be damaged during surgery or they could cause you great pain when you do your physical therapy. In some cases, the side effects themselves are worse than the condition.
Tip #2 - Residual Functional Capacity (RFC)
One of the strongest pieces of evidence in a disability appeal is the residual functional capacity (RFC), which is a measurement of the total amount of work that you are capable of doing given your condition.
The RFC is completed with your physician and it will outline exactly what you are capable of because of your carpal tunnel syndrome.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) utilizes the Blue Book, a guide to various medical conditions, to determine your eligibility for disability benefits and the RFC is a way to outline your specific condition and the side effects and how they come together to keep you from working.
Given that you will not be in contact with the SSA while they evaluate your appeal, this is your chance to provide details about how your condition impacts you.
Tip #3 - Obtain Additional Testing
Another way to strengthen your appeal is to obtain additional medical tests. The time between submitting your initial claim and receiving a decision can be anywhere from three to five months.
In that time, you might have developed new side effects or symptoms that prevent you from working.
It’s also possible that in looking at your initial claim you note that your medical documentation was lacking.
Your appeal is a chance to provide more x-rays, imaging, doctor’s notes and treatment plans so that your case is as strong as possible.
Get a Free Case Evaluation
It’s hard enough having to adapt to life with carpal tunnel syndrome so the last thing you need is to deal with filing an appeal with the SSA.
You might consider working with a disability attorney who can help you to obtain more evidence and ensure that your appeal is everything it needs to be.
While there is no guarantee that working with a disability attorney will lead to a win in your case, it can greatly improve your chances of a favorable outcome.
What’s more is that there is very little risk involved, as disability attorneys work on a contingency basis and do not collect fees up front. You only pay if you win your case.
To learn more about how a disability attorney can help you, fill out a free case evaluation form.
