The Importance of Objective Medical Findings and Your Treating Doctor’s Opinion

In deciding whether you qualify for Social Security disability benefits, the Social Security Administration will place great weight on objective medical findings and your treating doctor’s opinion. In this article, Ocala disability attorney CJ Henry will explain why those two elements are so important in the determination of your disability.

1. Objective Medical Findings

In your Social Security disability claim, objective findings can play a major role in the evaluation of whether or not you’re disabled. However, if your impairment does not meet or equal an impairment included in Social Security’s Listing of Impairments, the Social Security Administration should not look solely to see if your objective medical findings correspond to its special medical criteria. Even the Social Security Administration has admitted that sometimes medical findings fail to accurately characterize a condition: for example, it has said that there is no conclusive connection between x-ray findings and joint function. In addition, medical researchers have concluded, for example, that there’s no connection between the lumbar range of motion and disability.

2. How Your Treating Doctor Should Approach Preparing An Opinion

It is important to talk to your treating doctor about obtaining an opinion about your remaining ability to do work-related activities. You should try to give your own opinion about your capacity to do these activities. In making his medical opinion, your treating doctor should exercise professional judgment in deciding whether what you tell him is keeping in line with what he believes your medical impairments are. Your credibility is important here: what your treating doctor knows about you can also shape his opinion. Keep in mind that your treating doctor should not simply endorse whatever you say about what your limitations are.

If you’ve been denied Social Security disability benefits, let experienced Ocala disability attorney CJ Henry help you with your appeal. To schedule a free initial evaluation of your case, fill out the form on this page.