Chronic knee pain is a common complaint among adults. If your knee pain is so bad that it keeps you from working for a living and you need an assistive device to walk, you may be able to obtain Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. Social Security disability benefits replace a portion of the income you have lost due to the fact that you can no longer work.
Our experienced Kentucky disability attorneys can help you apply for disability benefits if you have debilitating knee pain. If you have been denied SSDI benefits for knee problems, we can help you file an appeal.
Contact our Kentucky Courage attorneys today to schedule a free consultation about filing a disability claim and how we can help you.
Get Social Security Disability Benefits for Bad Knees
Social Security Disability Insurance benefits are available to workers who, prior to being disabled, completed a sufficient number of work hours in a defined timespan. In general, you must have paid into the Social Security system for 40 quarters, 20 of which were in the ten years before you became disabled.
To qualify for SSDI benefits, you must be totally disabled according to Social Security Administration rules.
This means your condition must:
- Prevent you from obtaining or continuing gainful employment
- Severely restrict your ability to perform daily life activities
- Be expected to last at least 12 months or result in death.
A knowledgeable Kentucky disability lawyer at Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer can evaluate your knee problems and help you understand whether you may qualify for disability benefits. Contact our Kentucky Courage attorneys for a free consultation.
The easiest way to qualify for SSDI benefits is for your medical condition to match an impairment in the Social Security Administration’s Listing of Impairments. If your diagnosis matches a listed impairment, you will automatically be considered disabled and receive benefits.
If your condition does not match a listed impairment, your application must include medical evidence that demonstrates that your injury or illness incapacitates you in a manner that is equivalent to a recognized impairment. The evidence may be medical records that include the opinions of physicians, orthopedic specialists, and/or other healthcare providers who have treated you and the results of diagnostic tests, such as X-rays, MRIs, or CT scans.
Among musculoskeletal disorders identified in the Listing of Impairments is abnormality of a major joint(s) in any extremity, such as the knee. This listed impairment must be documented by medical records or a new diagnosis that shows each of the following:
- Chronic joint pain or stiffness
- Abnormal motion, instability, or immobility of the affected joint
- Anatomical abnormality of the affected joint(s) noted on physical examination or imaging
- Impairment-related physical limitation of musculoskeletal functioning that has lasted, or is expected to last, for a period of at least 12 months, and medical documentation of at least one of the following:
- A documented medical need for a walker, bilateral canes, bilateral crutches, or a wheeled and seated mobility device involving the use of both hands. …
Common Knee Problems That May Qualify for SSDI
Several common knee problems may qualify you for SSDI benefits if they have become disabling. They include:
- Osteoarthritis: This condition, which causes joint pain and reduced mobility in the knee due to loss of cartilage, could qualify you for SSDI as an abnormality of a major joint(s) in any extremity.
- Rheumatoid Arthritis: This condition is listed among immune system disorders in the Listing of Impairments, along with other types of inflammatory arthritis.
- Knee Replacement: If you are still disabled after knee replacement surgery (need an assistive device for mobility), you may qualify for benefits under reconstructive surgery or surgical arthrodesis of a major weight-bearing joint.
- Chronic Pain Syndromes: Chronic Pain Syndrome and similar disorders, such as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, are not listed impairments qualifying for SSDI. However, the medical evidence of your knee pain and the fact that it has rendered you disabled, as described in the condition abnormality of a major joint(s) in any extremity, may qualify for benefits.
Residual Functional Capacity Assessment
When a disability decision cannot be made on the basis of medical factors alone, the Social Security Administration’s residual functional capacity assessment is used to evaluate the extent to which the applicant’s impairment(s), including any related symptoms like pain, may cause physical or mental limitations or major dysfunction that affects their capacity to do work-related activities.
The RFC is designed to measure an applicant’s ability to do sustained work activities in an ordinary work setting on a regular and continuing basis, meaning for eight hours a day, five days a week, or an equivalent work schedule.
How Long Does the SSDI Application Process Take?
It can take three to five months for the Social Security Administration to process your application for SSDI benefits. Unfortunately, most initial SSDI applications are denied, often because of technical errors or failure to provide necessary information.
If your application is denied, a Kentucky Courage disability lawyer can guide you through the appeals process.
How Our Kentucky Law Firm Can Help?
If you need to appeal a knee disability decision or have questions about applying for disability benefits, the disability lawyers at Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer can help you. We can make sure your application is complete and can advise you on what to expect during the application or appeals process. If a second medical opinion might supplement your medical record, we can refer you to doctors in Kentucky who understand the disability application and appeals process.
We’ll represent you at every step of the process, responding to any questions the SSA has about your application and representing you in any appeals. We can handle all the paperwork and reduce the burden on you.
If you have chronic knee problems or knee joint dysfunction that keeps you from continuing to work and from getting around without assistive devices, we can help seek disability benefits.
Contact a disability attorney at Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer in Lexington, KY, today for a free legal consultation. Learn how our disability lawyers can help you seek Social Security Disability benefits. Phone (877) 809-5352 or reach out online now.
