Spinal cord injuries can be devastating for both the person that suffers the injury and their loved ones. An individual can be left with the inability to perform basic tasks including going to the bathroom, bathing, eating, brushing their teeth and working, depending on the extent of their injury.
Not all spinal cord injuries are created equal. Some may leave a person as a quadriplegic. This means that all four limbs may be affected. Others result in paraplegia or nonfunctional lower limbs. The severity of a person’s paralysis and their lack of function may impact whether they qualify for Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits.
Individuals who have been diagnosed with certain types of spinal cord injuries may automatically qualify for SSD benefits.
Those persons who have suffered a vertebral fracture along with a compromised nerve root or spinal cord may automatically qualify for benefits. Individuals with this condition often experience lower back issues which cause problems with sitting, loss of motion of the spine and sensory, reflex or motor loss.
Another SSD qualifying spinal cord injury is spinal arachnoiditis. This results in a severe burning or painful dysesthesia that leaves individuals with this condition having to change their seating position or posture as often as every two hours.
Chronic nonradicular pain and weakness due to lumbar spinal stenosis could also allow an individual to automatically qualify for disability benefits.
Individuals claiming disability for their spinal cord injury must generally provide proof to substantiate the severity of their condition. Claimants generally have to submit both imaging and pathology reports as part of this process.
Individuals with spinal cord injuries may still qualify for a vocational allowance even if they’re unable to prove that they warrant receiving SSD.
Many individuals with spinal cord injuries experience such chronic pain or discomfort that they’re unable to care for themselves or hold down a job here in Oklahoma City. If you’ve suffered a spinal cord injury and are unable to perform everyday functions or work, then you may be entitled to SSD benefits. An experienced attorney can review your medical records and aid you in filing a claim in your Oklahoma case.