My husband receives disability. He is really disabled due to a head-on collision six years ago when cops were chasing a guy for a fictitious tag at speeds of 125 mph. The guy went around a blind curve, crossed the center line and hit my husband head-on. The other driver had very minor injuries. My husband spent five weeks in ICU and three weeks in rehab. He is in a wheelchair and in constant pain. Had to have a large section of his intestines removed. Had nine surgeries to put in pins and rods in his legs and pelvis. Several months ago he fell and had to have additional pelvic surgery.
There are many who are truly disabled. Many are not. My son’s girlfriend is 29 and receives a disability check. For the life of me, I can’t figure out what makes her disabled (or lazy). Supposedly has back problems but it doesn’t keep her from doing anything.
I worked for attorneys who did disability cases. Seems standard for the first claim to be denied but once a lawyer is involved, it is approved. They deny that’s how it works, but from what I saw, that is exactly how it works. Lawyers have a lot of influence in this country.
“I worked for attorneys who did disability cases. Seems standard for the first claim to be denied but once a lawyer is involved, it is approved. They deny that’s how it works, but from what I saw, that is exactly how it works.”
Indeed, that is precisely how it works. Interestingly, you don’t have to be a lawyer to handle those cases. While the case is pending, the benefit period is running, so the attorney gets a percentage in the neighborhood of 15-20% of the back benefits, if awarded. Because the claims are all pretty similar from procedural and documentation perspectives, attorneys can easily set up a mill. The biggest hurdle for them is the marketing costs. It’s a lot like a high volume bankruptcy practice. Locally, the administrative judge has now retired from the bench, and is representing claimants.