Did you know Miami’s roads are more accident-prone due to –
- unpredictable weather,
- chaotic weather, or
- simply the high number of vehicles on the road?
| In 2024, Miami saw a total of 59,774 car crashes. Out of those, 29,234 resulted in injuries. Unfortunately, 287 people lost their lives due to these accidents.
There were –
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If you are injured and have a disability that’s affecting your ability to work, you may or may not qualify for Social Security Disability benefits. However, you can get help from disability lawyers in Miami.
Your qualification depends on a few things:
- The type of disability you have
- How much the disability affects your ability to function
- How long the disability is expected to last
- Your financial situation
Social Security provides disability benefits to people who cannot work due to an injury or medical condition severely limiting their abilities.
The Social Security Administration defines disability as the inability to perform any substantial work. It can be due to a physical or mental condition that either:
- Will result in death, or
- Has lasted, or is expected to last, for at least 12 months.
This disability can be physical, like heart disease, cancer, or musculoskeletal disorders, or mental, like depression or schizophrenia. However, the condition must be confirmed by clinical tests or lab results, not just symptoms.
What Medical Conditions Will Be Evaluated?
To help decide which medical conditions qualify for disability benefits, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has created a guide called the Blue Book.
This book lists health conditions that are severe enough to stop an adult from working, no matter their age, education, or work experience.
You can qualify for Social Security disability benefits if your condition matches one of the listed impairments.
The Blue Book is divided into 14 sections based on body systems, and each section explains how the condition will be assessed and what medical evidence is needed.
Here are the 14 sections:
- Musculoskeletal System (e.g., back injuries, soft tissue damage)
- Special Senses and Speech (e.g., vision and hearing impairments)
- Respiratory Disorders (e.g., cystic fibrosis)
- Cardiovascular System (e.g., heart disease, chronic heart failure)
- Digestive System (e.g., chronic liver disease, IBD)
- Genitourinary Disorders (e.g., chronic kidney disease)
- Haematological Disorders (e.g., anaemia, bone marrow failure)
- Skin Disorders (e.g., chronic skin infections, dermatitis)
- Congenital Disorders Affecting Multiple Body Systems (e.g., Down Syndrome)
- Neurological System (e.g., cerebral palsy, muscular sclerosis)
- Mental Disorders (e.g., schizophrenia, autism)
- Cancer (e.g., skin cancer, lymphoma)
- Immune System Disorders (e.g., lupus, HIV, rheumatoid arthritis)
- Endocrine Disorders (hormone imbalance and related conditions)
Each section helps determine if your condition qualifies for benefits and what medical proof you need to provide.
What to Do if Your Disability Isn’t Listed in the SSA’s Blue Book?
The Social Security Administration’s (SSA) Blue Book lists many conditions that qualify for disability benefits, but not every possible condition can be included.
If your specific disability isn’t listed, you may still be able to get benefits if your condition is severe and long-lasting, like one of the listed conditions.
This is called medical equivalence. It means your condition is just as serious and long-lasting as one of the conditions in the Blue Book.
To be considered for disability benefits, you must meet the criteria for the condition listed (for example, asthma requires a certain number of attacks per year).
Here are three ways your condition could still qualify:
- If your condition doesn’t fully meet the Blue Book requirements, you have other symptoms that are just as severe or worse than those listed.
- If your condition isn’t listed, it is just as debilitating as a listed condition.
- If you have multiple conditions that aren’t as severe as the listed conditions, they’re just as serious as one of the listed impairments.
If your disability is similar to the one listed but not the same, you can still apply by proving your condition is equivalent in severity and duration.
To Sum Up
As you can see, determining medical equivalence isn’t as straightforward as checking if your condition matches a listed disability.
Detailed medical records will be invaluable in comparing your condition to the conditions listed in the Blue Book. Also, disability lawyers in Miami can help make things a lot easier.
One of the best things you can do to support your claim is to ensure your records are accurate, complete, and up-to-date.
If Disability Determination Services doesn’t have enough information to decide if your condition is equivalent to a listed one, they may send you to a state-approved doctor for further evaluation.