Most attorneys who handle Social Security disability cases will likely tell their clients not to bother with functional capacity evaluations. Ocala, FL Social Security disability lawyers can tell you that these evaluations are not necessary because the Social Security Administration (SSA) does not require them, and they usually do not provide enough information. These evaluations, which only take a few hours, often do not accurately measure whether a claimant can work full-time all year long.
Nevertheless, as Ocala, FL Social Security disability attorneys are aware, this becomes an issue in many cases with claimants 50 years of age and older. The issue surrounding this age group is whether a claimant can handle doing sedentary work for 8 hours per day. This work could include the claimant sitting for more than half of the day, possibly standing for short periods of time and often lifting things that weigh less than 10 pounds. Ocala, FL Social Security disability lawyers can add that most functional capacity evaluations automatically assign a claimant’s capacity as being able to perform jobs with little physical activity. A person’s ability to perform sedentary work can only be truly measured by watching the person work for several weeks. However, that would be a costly endeavor.
Though a physician’s opinion about a claimant is valuable in helping the SSA make a decision about a case, the doctor is not required to be an expert or have special training. As your Ocala, FL Social Security disability attorneys can tell you, the SSA only wants the claimant’s treating doctor to have a longitudinal view of the person’s medical problems and be able to provide information that is helpful in determining whether the person is disabled. Generally, doctors who have seen patients many times provide better information than a specialist who only saw the claimant during one visit.
Social Security disability cases often are determined without specialists and functional capacity evaluations. If you have filed a Social Security disability claim and have legal questions, call the Ocala, FL Social Security disability lawyers at the CJ Henry Law Firm, PLLC: 352-304-5300.
