Doctor’s Role in Your Social Security Disability Claim

An Ocala Social Security Disability Claim Attorney Explains How Your Physician Can Help

In this article, an Ocala Social Security disability claim attorney looks at the ways in which your physician can assist you with your disability claim.

The Doctor’s Role

The opinion of a treating physician can be critical to winning your Social Security disability case. Your Ocala Social Security disability lawyer will have included your doctor’s evaluation of your impairment with your medical records and all the rest of the evidence supporting your claim for presentation at your hearing before the Administrative Law Judge. The medical judgment of your doctor may make the difference between winning and losing your case.

The Physician’s Opinion

The opinion obtained from your physician will outline all of the most pertinent information concerning the type of impairment you have: how serious your condition is, how it manifests itself, how it does or does not limit you physically and whether it will improve or deteriorate as time goes by. The Social Security Administration places considerable weight on the opinion of the treating doctor to the degree that the SSA may declare that its opinion and your doctor’s are one and the same.

Presentation At The Hearing

Naturally, the most desirable procedure is for your Ocala Social Security disability lawyer to engage that your physician attend your hearing in person. This puts the doctor in a position to present his medical evaluation of all of the ramifications of your condition and answer any questions that might arise. Since it is unlikely that a busy physician’s schedule would allow for in-person attendance and the expense could be prohibitive, however, it is relatively rare that this happens. This being the case, other means of obtaining your physician’s opinion must be employed. Some of these are:

•  Your attorney will depose the doctor or ask him or her to respond to a set of interrogatories by providing written answers.
•  Have your doctor generate an original report specific to your impairment or record the information on templates adapted for your condition.

Nomenclature

The opinion of the treating physician may be referred to in a number of ways. It could be called a “medical assessment,” “Residual Functional Capacity opinion” or a “medical source statement.” Regardless of the name it is given, it is necessary that it be taken into account by the SSA and if the events warrant, weighed in as one of the deciding factors.

Know Your Options

Your Ocala Social Security disability claim attorney has the experience, expertise and education to advise you responsibly. Contact the CJ Henry Law Firm, PLLC by calling 352-304-5300 today.