If you have suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI), your life may look very different from before. You may be unable to retain your job or unable to go about everyday life on your own.
Just having a TBI is not enough to qualify for Social Security Disability benefits. You need to prove one of two things:
- Physical disabilities caused by your TBI: For at least three months after the accident, you have been unable to control two or more of your extremities. As a result, you have extreme problems balancing, using your arms or standing up on your own.
- Neurocognitive problems caused by your TBI: You have significant issues and limitations with things such as talking, socializing, thinking, remembering or controlling your emotions. Again, this needs to have been for at least three months after your injury occurred.
The effects of your TBI and how it has affected your ability to work may well be clear to you and the people around you. Convincing the decision-makers in the Social Security Administration is a whole different matter.
Those assessing your case will require specific medical information, and in some cases, images of your brain scans. They will need to decide that your TBI is a disability that prevents you from supporting yourself.
That is why you should seek legal guidance to maximize your chances of receiving the benefits you need. There are strict deadlines to meet and specific procedures to follow. Too many people see their claims rejected because they failed to file their applications correctly.
