When a person is faced with a disability and is suddenly unable to work due to the limitations that their disability places on them, it can wreak financial havoc on the individual’s family. It is in cases such as this that Social Security Disability benefits are supposed to help a disabled individual make ends meet. Unfortunately, it takes many applicants two years or more before seeing their first payment from the Social Security Administration (SSA). Oftentimes the finances have already spiraled out of control by the time the first disability payment comes in. Fortunately, in some cases, the SSA recognizes that a disability is so severe that an applicant cannot and should not have to go through the standard claim and appeal process. As a result, the SSA implemented the Compassionate Allowances program. Under this program applicants who suffer from certain conditions may qualify for benefits in a matter of weeks rather than having to wait months or years. Tabes Dorsalis is one of the conditions that have recently been added to the Compassionate Allowances guidelines. If you have been diagnosed with Tabes Dorsalis and you want to ensure a quick and hassle-free approval of your disability claim the following information will help.
Tabes Dorsalis - Condition and Symptoms
Tabes dorsalis is a condition that results in the degeneration of the body’s sensory neurons (the neurons responsible for carrying afferent information in the body). The nerves that are affected are located in the dorsal columns of the body in the spinal cord. These neurons and nerves help an individual maintain their sense of position, vibration and touch.
The symptoms of Tabes Dorsalis can vary from case to case. A person may have the condition for decades and not exhibit symptoms. Once symptoms do appear common symptoms include weakness, impaired reflexes, pains that feel shooting and burning, an abnormally diminished cutaneous, impaired movement, degeneration of the joints, loss of coordination, intense pain, changes in personality, poor bladder control, dementia, hearing loss, vision loss, a loss of deep tendon reflexes and intense ocular pain.
Once nerve damage has occurred it cannot be reversed. When this condition is left untreated it can lead to blindness, paralysis and even dementia.
Tabes dorsalis is linked to syphilis. The condition is caused by an untreated syphilis infection. The condition seems to be more prevalent in males than in females and onset usually occurs during mid-life. Research shows that the incidence of the condition is rising.
Filing for Social Security Disability with Tabes Dorsalis
When you file a Social Security Disability application, your application will be among the millions of other applications that are filed the same year. The truth is that nearly 70 percent of the applications filed this year will be denied if history is any indication of future approval rates. If you want your application to be among the 30 percent that are approved during the initial stage of the process there are some measures you must take.
First and foremost, ensure that you fill out the application paperwork properly. Many denials are due to improperly completed paperwork. When filling out your application, make sure to provide detailed answers to the questions that are asked. The answers you provide will help the SSA determine the severity of your case and the more detailed your answers are the more likely the SSA will be to understand the severity of your case.
You must also provide the SSA with sufficient evidence to support the claims you make in the application paperwork. When filing for benefits include medical records such as your lab results, treatment histories and written statements from your treating physicians. All of this will be weighed when the SSA is making a decision regarding your case.
Tabes Dorsalis and Your Social Security Disability Case
If you are applying for Social Security Disability benefits due to a diagnosis of tabes dorsalis, you may want to consider retaining the services of a disability attorney prior to filing for benefits. A disability attorney will be able to help you ensure that your application paperwork is filled out properly and that you provide the SSA with sufficient medical evidence to support your claim for benefits. Your attorney will also be able to ensure that your claim is filed in such a way that the adjudicator reviewing your file understands how it qualifies for processing under the SSA’s Compassionate Allowances guidelines.
Fortunately disability attorneys work on a contingency basis, collecting only 25 percent of the back pay that you receive from the SSA. This means that retaining legal help will not incur any up-front expense on your part.
