Disability for Gout in Detroit
If you’ve been diagnosed with gout, we don’t need to tell you how painful it is.
This inflammatory arthritis disease, caused by high levels of uric acid in the blood that form uric crystals, triggers sudden and immediate episodes of pain, swelling, redness and tenderness in your joints. While your big toe is the most common joint affected, gout can also attack your ankles, knees, elbows, fingers and wrists.
Many Detroit area residents who’ve been diagnosed with gout by a rheumatologist find that their specific case of gout is so severe, they can no longer function in their jobs.
This can be especially true if your job involves standing for long periods, physical labor, or repetitive tasks with your arms or hands.
Being unable to work can be devastating and frightening. Without income, you face a financial meltdown.
But there is hope: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits provide monthly disability checks and qualify you for Medicare health coverage—just what you need to hold on to your independence and dignity during a difficult time in your life.
To give yourself the best chance of winning benefits, get a lawyer with experience in the special Social Security legal system that decides who qualifies for disability. Lawyers from Levine Benjamin Law Firm have helped thousands of people in Toledo, Traverse City and across Michigan and Ohio.
What would you like to do?
How to Qualify for Disability for Gout
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has a “blue book” of physical and mental health conditions that can qualify you for disability checks. Gout falls under the medical criteria for inflammatory arthritis.
Meeting the SSA’s requirements for disability income is crucial, which is why if you’re experiencing gout, it’s important to visit your rheumatologist regularly so your case is professionally documented—and that you follow your doctor’s instructions.
Generally speaking, the SSA will review your claim and medical records and award you monthly benefits for gout if you meet the following criteria:
- Your case of gout is affecting one or more peripheral weight-bearing joints, or an upper extremity.
- You can’t ambulate—or move about—effectively, such as being unable or having extreme difficulty walking and performing physical tasks.
- Or you can’t perform fine motor tasks anymore, like handwriting or typing.
Additionally, your case of gout must make you incapable of performing the job you used to do and unable to transition to a new line of work. Your condition must be expected to last at least one year, or possibly lead to death.
Get Support for Your Disability Case in Detroit
It can take a long time for the SSA to review your claim and determine if you will get monthly disability benefits, especially if they deny you at first and you need to appeal the decision.
You want the information you submit to the SSA to be right the first time, so you can start receiving monthly disability checks as soon as possible. But Social Security asks you for a lot of information and documents supporting your argument that your health is keeping you from working.
That’s one reason why the government itself recommends you work with a skilled Social Security Disability representative, especially when you’re appealing a denial.
The lawyers at Levine Benjamin know SSDI law inside out. Since 1964, we’ve helped more than 80,000 people win disability claims.
Don’t let Social Security’s long and complicated application process overwhelm you. If you’re considering applying for disability because of your case of gout—or you need to appeal a denial—call Levine Benjamin for a FREE CONSULTATION.
We can help you determine your best course of action.
From applying to appealing, we help you every step of the way.