Subjective Considerations the Social Security Administration Uses to Determine Disability Status
Your doctor and your Social Security disability attorney will both tell you that even with thorough medical documentation, disability status is still very subjective. A disabled person’s symptoms—pain, aching, weakness, etc.—are often difficult or impossible to quantify. The Social Security Administration recognizes this fact, and has gone so far as to state that the degree to which a person is disabled cannot always be ascertained by objective testing.
As a result, the Social Security Administration relies heavily on doctor opinions. Your doctor decides whether or not the symptoms you describe are consistent with a recognized medical condition. He or she then needs to give written assessments of the severity of your medical conditions and its effects on your activity. The Social Security Administration will use your doctor’s subjective evaluation of your medical status to determine if you are legally disabled.
These doctor assessments are crucial, even if you have objective evidence of a medical condition. While the conditions themselves may be objective, the symptoms may not be. Different medical conditions affect different people in different ways, due to differences in environment, psychological differences, pain tolerance, etc. A fused spinal disk may render one patient bedridden, but another patient with the same condition might still be able to work. The Social Security Administration is therefore required to evaluate each claim individually, with consideration only to the factors that affect that particular claimant.
Though the Social Security Administration tries to be fair, they are not infallible. If you feel you have been denied benefits unfairly, call The Dennison Law Firm for a free consultation today.
