One category of injury that may qualify for support through Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits is the traumatic brain injury categorization. People who have suffered a traumatic brain injury will have various levels of lasting symptoms, which is something that has to be carefully considered. For some people, it’s possible to pass neurological exams and to speak well with others. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always mean that they are able to work.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) does have strict standards for approving disability claims, but they are sometimes too strict. It’s not impossible for the SSA to get things wrong and to deny those who need approvals, either.
If you are denied benefits despite having a brain injury, your attorney will work with you to appeal that decision. When appealing, some things you will want to include are:
- Details about your short- or long-term memory loss
- Details describing issues like vertigo, a loss of balance or dizzy spells that could impact your ability to work
- Letters from medical professionals that describe wide mood swings or personality changes
- Medical diagnoses of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression or secondary conditions that make the brain injury more challenging than it appeared
- Records of visual impairment
- Videos or photos that show other ways that you are impacted by your brain injury
The severity of your brain injury shouldn’t be ignored, even if it appears that you are fine to work. Brain injuries can present in many ways, and it might be hard to tell from an interview that you have a problem at all. It’s a combination of factors that have to be assessed and proven in order to get you the compensation that you need.
