Regardless of your age, developing a serious medical condition, such as Lupus, can impact your ability to function independently. For many people, as the disease progresses, they are able to do less and less of the things that they once did. While most people try to work for as long as they can, at some point they may become unable to continue their previous level of activity. Facing a situation like this can often be an anxiety-inducing experience as the person may wonder how they will pay their bills or mortgage.
However, it doesn’t have to be that way. Working with an experienced Fayetteville AR disability lawyer can help you to understand the benefits available through the program. If you can satisfy the medical and program requirements, you may be able to obtain cash benefits through the SSD program. Ken Kieklak ca help you present your case to the Social Security Administration to improve the likelihood that you will be granted SSD benefits in Bentonville.
Does Lupus Itself Qualify for Disability Benefits?
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), or Lupus, is a chronic inflammatory disease that can affect any organ or body system. Typical signs and symptoms expressed by those with Lupus include severe fatigue, fever, malaise, and involuntary weight loss. In most cases of Lupus, major organs and bodily systems are also impacted. These effects can include:
- Respiratory: pleuritis, pneumonia
- Cardiovascular: anemia, endocarditis, myocarditis, pericarditis, or vasculitis
- Renal: glomerulonephritis, impaired kidney function or failure
- Hematological: anemia, leukopenia, & thrombocytopenia
- Skin: photosensitivity, a butterfly-shaped rash over the bridge of the nose and cheeks, Reynaud’s syndrome
- Neurological: dizziness, seizures, headaches
- Mental: anxiety, trouble with concentration and focus, fluctuating cognition, lupus fog
- Mood disorders: organic brain syndrome, psychosis, mood swings
- Immune system disorders: inflammatory arthritis, fatigue, and fever
Each and every medical condition is unique and a product of its circumstances. To show the severity of your condition you must present documented medical evidence.
How Will the SSA Evaluate Tour Lupus Impairment?
Lupus is a Listed condition contained within Part A of the Social Security Administration’s Listings. When a condition is Listed, it is considered to be so severe by the SSA, that you can qualify for benefits at Step 3 of the 5-step sequential evaluation process. However, a mere diagnosis of the condition by itself is not sufficient to qualify. Rather, to prove that your Lupus is severe, the SSA will require the presence of constitutional symptoms or signs, and marked impairments in certain domains. These are all terms of art for Social Security Disability matters. A constitutional symptom or sign is severe fatigue, fever, malaise, or involuntary weight loss. A domain is an area of functioning, such as cognition or social functioning, that is measured by the SSA for disability determinations. A marked impairment is a condition that causes serious impairment in a certain domain.
For your lupus condition to equal the Listing you must show through documented medical evidence, medical findings, and reports regarding your abilities that two or more bodily systems or organs are affected and:
- One of the organs or bodily systems involved is affected at least moderately.
- A minimum of two constitutional symptoms or signs are present.
Alternatively, after repeated occurrences or flare-ups of your Lupus condition when you have at least two of the constitutional symptoms or signs and one of the following that reaches, at least, a marked level:
- Limitations in your activities of daily living (ADL).
- Limitations in your social functioning
- Limitations in completing tasks due to problems with concentration, persistence or pace.
Proving a severe Lupus condition can require a meticulous marshaling of medical evidence and presenting it in such a way that your severe impairments are clear and obvious to the claim examiner or the administrative law judge. Ken Kieklak can help you with each and every step of the SSD application process.
Put our Arkansas Attorneys’ Disability Attorneys To Work For You
Ken Kieklak has worked with hard-working Arkansans who have suffered a serious injury or developed a severe illness for more than 20 years. People in the Bentonville area have come to know and trust Ken Kieklak and the Law Practice of Ken Kieklak for their knowledgeable and dedicated approach to each and every manner. To schedule your free and confidential SSD consultation, call (479) 316-0438 or contact us online.