530+ Google Reviews
Type one or type two diabetes can cause serious complications to your health, leaving you incapacitated and unable to work to support yourself or your family. If it does, you could qualify for disability benefits.
Not everyone with diabetes will qualify, and navigating the application process can be a complex and frustrating experience. However, you do not have to navigate the process alone.
A North Carolina Social Security Disability lawyer can help you collect the medical evidence and other information that proves your diabetes qualifies for disability.
They can also help you appeal a rejected application. Most law firms will review your claim at no cost or obligation and represent you on a contingency fee basis.
What Is Diabetes, and How Is It Diagnosed?
Rather than a single medical condition, diabetes is actually a group of diseases that affect how your body uses glucose, the blood sugar your body converts into energy, and your brain’s primary fuel source. Types of diabetes include:
- Type one diabetes: The body stops making sufficient insulin
- Type two diabetes: The body does not use insulin effectively
- Gestational diabetes: Diabetes that develops during pregnancy
Diabetes is diagnosed with various blood tests, such as an A1C test, random blood sugar test, fasting blood sugar test, or oral glucose tolerance test.
The Effects of Type One Diabetes
People with type one diabetes are dependent on an insulin pump or injections to control their blood glucose levels for the rest of their lives once diagnosed. Complications of this condition can include:
- Blood vessel disease
- Foot damage
- Heart disease
- Irregular heart rhythm
- Sleep apnea
- Dementia
- Increased infection risk
- Diabetic nephropathy (kidney disease)
- Diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage)
- Pregnancy complications
- Vision damage
Chronic conditions, diabetes-related amputation, and other complications from type one diabetes can impede your ability to work, potentially enabling you to qualify for disability.
Personal Injury Lawyer Near Me (828) 286-3866
The Effects of Type Two Diabetes
Treatment for type two diabetes often involves diet changes, exercise, medications, and insulin therapy in some cases. People with type two diabetes that is not managed well can experience many of the same complications as type one diabetes patients.
These risk factors and complications can prevent you from working, which could allow you to obtain disability.
Is Diabetes Included in the Social Security Administration’s Listing of Impairments?
The Social Security Administration (SSA) provides a Listing of Impairments (also called the “Blue Book”) that lists disabling conditions that generally qualify for disability benefits.
Diabetes is listed in the “Endocrine Disorders” section. This means some people with diabetes can qualify for disability if their condition is not well-controlled with insulin or other treatments and their condition causes complications that prevent gainful employment.
Medical evidence that supports your disability application may include:
- Names and contact information for your healthcare team
- Diagnoses, exams, and test results
- Consultative examination report
- A list of prescribed medications
This list is not exhaustive. Your attorney will work with you to accumulate the medical and personal information your application requires.
Who Should Apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) Benefits?
SSD includes two disability programs. You could apply for SSDI benefits if you meet the following criteria:
- You worked long enough
- You worked recently enough
- You paid Social Security insurance while employed
Your lawyer will document your work history along with your medical history to establish your qualification for SSD benefits.
Who Should Apply for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Benefits?
SSI is designed to meet the needs of disabled people who:
- Can prove a financial need
- Have little or no resources
- Are blind, over age 65, or have a qualifying disability
Your lawyer will help you document your financial need and qualifying disability. In some cases, you can qualify for both programs and receive concurrent benefits.
Do You Need a Lawyer to Get Disability for Diabetes?
When you hire a lawyer to help with your SSD benefits application, you do not have to face the myriad challenges of your claim alone. Instead, your attorney will manage all the details of the application process.
Your disability benefits lawyer will:
- Clarify each phase of the SSD application process
- Prove your eligibility for one or both benefits programs
- Gather all necessary information and evidence
- Check your application for accuracy and completeness
- Submit and monitor your application and its progress
Filing an SSD claim does not have to take over your life. Your attorney can handle the details — big and small — so you can concentrate on your health and well-being.
An SSD Lawyer Can Help You File an Effective Appeal
When your health is compromised enough to stop you from working, financial strain can cause stress and worry. If you made it through the SSD application process and did not receive benefits, the appeal process can seem daunting.
A local SSD attorney can help by filing your appeal for you. They will:
- Review the reason for claim denial
- Collect supplemental evidence
- Accompany you to SSD hearings
Filing an appeal is a multi-step process. Your attorney will represent you at each step, clarify your responsibilities, communicate with SSD officials on your behalf, and fight for the medical and financial benefits you need and deserve.
Most SSD Lawyers Work on a Contingency Fee Basis
You do not have to tackle the SSD application process alone out of concern for how much a disability lawyer costs. Most SSD lawyers work on contingency, meaning they will accept your claim and all its upfront costs without requiring a hefty retainer or charging hourly fees.
Instead, they receive compensation when your claim is approved, and you will owe no legal fees if you do not receive benefits. This fee agreement means you do not have to manage your application or appeal on your own.
It also means you can get the legal help and support you want right from the start.
Get a Free Social Security Disability Claim Review Today
If you are struggling with diabetes and its severity prevents you from working, our SSD attorneys can help you apply for medical and financial benefits. We can also file an appeal if the SSA denied your initial application.
Find out if your diagnosed diabetes qualifies for disability. Contact our consultation team at Farmer & Morris Law, PLLC, now to get started.
