Social Security Disability

[DGFoster]

Have to vent,a friend of mine has been trying to get disability because he has Coronary Artery Disease-Diabetes-High Blood Pressure-Thyroid Disease-Roomitoid Arthritis-Sleep Apnea-he weighs about 450 LBS his knees are shot and his ankles are both shot,all documented from 3 doctors and he still got denied,this was his third time and he had a lawyer,this poor guy worked hard all his life til he was in an industrial accident back in 94 which distroyed his knees and ankle. and he is 39 years old.

But on the other hand another friends brother says he is blind and he gets $850 a month,but funny thing,he dont have any problem driving his new Denalli pickup truck that cost 44000 bucks,he sees well enough to drive that,and last week,he wired up his brothers new garage. He must have one hell of a set of curb feelers on that Denalli.

I just dont understand

 

[lgibson]

I know exactly what you mean. In '95 I had a work related accident that nearly cost me my life. For almost three years I was in and out of hospitals and rehab. Because it was work related, I was on Workman's comp. and did not file for SSDI. Three years later I filed for SSDI only as a last resort. I got turned down 5 times. My injuries include a busted back, broken hip and pelvis, nerve damage in my lower back and legs, and a closed head injury that causes me lots of problems. I know have arthritis in both hips, knees, and a form of arthritis called AS that has my spine fusing itself together.



I got turned down 5 times because of my age, 27 at the time of the accident. My education was only finishing high school. My work history was Rufneck in the oilfield, Heavy equipment operator, EMT, auto mechanic and then heavy equipment mechanic. None of these jobs I can do now or ever again. At the last appeal I went to they had a "expert" that would tell the judge what job I could do with my current experance. He could only come up with one, a photo editer at one of those one hour photo places.



My attorney kept wanting to say I was addicted to pain meds. saying they would have to accept me then. I was on the strongest pain meds, Oxycotin, lortab sp?, Vicadin. I was not addicted to any and I would not lie about it.



Sorry for going on but this is a hard topic for me. I am working again after going back to school. My head injury kept me from classes so I got enrolled in an "on the job training" which I worked for one year for free. Now I pay into SS every month now and it really pisses me off.