Do I Qualify

[diver]

Hello everyone. I am looking at filing for SSDI and I don’t know what I am facing. I have herd lots of nightmares from it. I will be leaving work this month and starting voc rehab. I am unable to continue to do the work that I have been doing for 9 years. I am only 41 and here is my list of service connected problems.

Depression 50%
Lumbar strain 40%
Tinnitus 10%
Right ankle sprain 20%
Left ankle sprain 10%
Left knee instability 10%
Left knee chrondromalacia 10%
Right knee chrondromalacia 10%
Left knee limitation of extention 10%
Right knee limitation of extention 10%

What would be my odds. Again I know nothing about this. I was never planning on this until I have been told by many friends and family to do it.

Thanks for your thoughts and any pointers on how to do it

Diver

[free_spirit_etc]

Diver,

I am sorry to hear you had to leave your job. Though you are considered "young" by SSA standards, and thus they will see if you can be retrained for a different kind of job, the percentages on the back disability and depression are very relevant for your claim. The back injury would most likely rule out many non-sedentary jobs, and the depression might rule out many sedentary jobs.

You might want to contact a few SSA attorneys and see what they tell you. You might want to contact NOSSCAR http://www.nosscr.org/for referrals. You may call NOSSCR at 1-800-431-2804 during regular Eastern Standard Time business hours.

Some attorneys like to handle claims from the beginning to make sure everything is filed correctly before an initial decision is made. Other attorneys don't want to take claims until the person has already been denied. So keep that in mind when you talk to them.

Some people prefer to go it alone when filing, and other people prefer to get an attorney involved from the start. If you get an attorney involved, they will generally get a percentage of your retro pay regardless of what step in the process they enter representation. So some people prefer to get an attorney from the start, rather than do a lot of their own legwork, and then end up having to get an attorney later.

Some people also use Allsup http://www.allsup.com/Some people have liked them; others haven't.

But a good first step is to contact some representatives and see how interested they are in taking your case. The more interested they are, the less you probably need an attorney.

Good luck!

Have you also considered filing for any increased ratings and TDIU with the VA?

[diver]

thank you Free_spirit_etc for the reply. I am planning on filing for TDUI and also I have requested an increase in my knees and I have a defered bilateral heal spurs and finally I am filing a NOD on denials for hip and sciatica problems. I think it may be best for me to contact an attorney and go from there.

thank you

diver

[Mikemmlj]

I always recommend people applying for SSDI watch the YouTube videos by zjonathan Ginsberg and Anthony Reeves they are very informative videos.

[diver]

I will watch them thank you Mikemmlj

[Buck52]

http://www.disabilitysecrets.com/

check out this site!

Buck!

[diver]

thats great thank you