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Social Security Is Your Right

You give part of your paycheck to Social Security every payday so you expect the benefits to be there when you need them. If you are being denied benefits, the Law Office of L. Jack Gibney will file disability claims for you.

Social Security Law

Have you suffered a serious injury or have a permanent condition that doesn't allow you to work? The Law Office of L. Jack Gibney is here to assist you.

If you're disabled from an accident or illness and looking to acquire temporary partial disability, permanent total disability, or something in between (permanent partial disability, temporary total disability), we will help make sure you're eligible for disability benefits that will support you financially.

Our country's Social Security disability system was designed to provide people with a security net when times are bad. We will fight for the Social Security disability benefits that may be due to you.

There are several different ways that a person can be found to be disabled under the Social Security disability process:

1. Satisfaction of a Listing or Listed Impairment.

2. Application of the Grid Rules.

3. Less than sedentary residual functional capacity.

Listings

The Administration has determined that some physical or mental conditions are so problematic in terms of being able to find employment and maintain employment that if the person satisfies one of these Listings the person is disabled. It is very difficult to satisfy a Listing but the Administration has broken the body into different body systems and each body system is covered. The satisfaction of a Listing depends heavily on the medical evidence that is contained in the file. Objective testing is critical in the application of a Listing. Age, education or the person's vocational history including any acquired skills is not critical in the application of the Listings.

Grid Rules

During the process of deciding a claim the Social Security Administration has established a set of rules that will determine if a person is disabled without further inquiry. These rules are commonly referred to as Grid Rules but are defined as Medical-Vocational Guidelines. The person's age and educational level are critical to the application of each of the Grid Rules; the Rules typically are not applied until the person has reached at least 50 years of age. In each of the Grid Rules, the person's past relevant work is also evaluated in terms of the skill level of the past relevant work and whether or not any of the acquired skills can be transferred to other types of jobs. I have posted the links to the Grid Rules below:

https://web.archive.org/web/20210511222936/https://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/cfr20/404/404-app-p02.htm

Less Than Sedentary Residual Functional Capacity

The Administration has determined that if a person is unable to perform even sedentary work on a sustained basis, the person is disabled. Sedentary work is defined as work that requires the person to lift ten pounds or less frequently and requires the person to sit six hours per day and stand and/or walk two hours or less per day on a sustained basis. If the person is unable to perform this type of work, the person can be found to be disabled. In this analysis, the opinions of treating physicians are very important. However, any opinion from a treating physician should also be supported by objective medical testing or a consistent treatment record that evidences the inability to perform even sedentary work.

During the analysis and prosecution of any disability claim, all three bases for a disability should be considered and the development of the medical evidence including the opinions of the treating physicians should be thoroughly developed.

Survivor Benefits

Minor children are entitled to benefits based on the wage earner’s disability or death. The benefit that may be available to a minor child will depend on the earnings record of the wage earner.

The benefit that is available will be sent to the disabled person or the person who has custody of the child of the deceased worker. This benefit will cease when the minor child reaches 18 years of age or when the child graduates from high school, whichever is later. Any money that is sent for the benefit of the child must be spent for the benefit of the child.

Available Benefits

There are several benefits programs that are part of the Social Security Administration. They include:

  • Regular Disability Benefits (DIB)

  • Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

  • Widow/Widowers Disability Benefits

  • Disabled Adult Child Benefits (DAC)

  • Blind Benefits

Attorney Gibney uses more than 30 years of experience, including Social Security Law, to provide you with the best representation possible. He also addresses clients' needs involving Intellectual Property Law.