Qualifying for SSD with Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

About 2.3 million people are afflicted with multiple sclerosis (MS), which impairs the ability to speak and move their bodies. MS is a disease of the central nervous system that causes a disruption in the flow of information between the brain and the rest of the body. The breakdown occurs when the myelin surrounding the nerve fibers in our body is damaged. This not only leads to a lack of control of the muscles and limbs, but also to trouble speaking in as many as 40 percent of patients who are diagnosed with MS.

MS leaves many people unable to work and without a resource for income. Luckily, multiple sclerosis is one of many conditions that can qualify for Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits. However, your condition must meet certain eligibility standards.

Overview of MS

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease that affects the central nervous system (CNS) by attacking myelin, the fatty substance surrounding and protecting the nerve fibers in the body. The attacked nerve fibers then create scar tissue that interrupts nerve impulses from reaching or receiving signals from the brain and spinal cord.

Believed to be an autoimmune disease (a disease that occurs because the immune system attacks itself), MS takes one of four courses:

• Relapsing-remitting
  The most common form of the disease, it is characterized by acute attacks of the symptoms with either partial or full recovery periods.
• Primary-progressive
  Slowly worsening, this form has no distinct relapses or remissions in attacks.
• Secondary-progressive
  This form usually progresses from relapsing-remitting and includes more occasional attacks with minor recoveries and plateaus.
• Progressive-relapsing
  The rarest form of MS, the disease continues to worsen with some recovery but continues to develop without remissions.

Getting Assistance for an MS Disability

The Social Security Administration’s policies state that in order to be awarded disability benefits for an MS diagnosis, the patient must suffer from the following:

• Disorganization of motor function
  • What it is: tremors, involuntary movement, or paralysis caused by nerve dysfunction
  • How it is evaluated: it is assessed by the degree of interference and impairment
• Visual or mental impairment
  • How it is evaluated: loss of vision in the better eye (after correction) is 20/200 or worse; narrowing visual field in the better eye; loss of visual efficiency in the better eye (after correction) of 20 percent or less
• Significant, reproducible fatigue and muscle weakness
  • What it is: fatigue and muscle weakness resulting from neurological dysfunction
  • How it is evaluated: determined by a physical examination
• Condition lasting longer than a year

The last standard is often the most difficult for patients to meet due to the episodic nature of MS, which is why it’s important to have a Social Security Disability lawyer by your side when filing an SSD claim for multiple sclerosis.

Let Our Attorneys Help You Qualify for SSD Benefits on the Basis of Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

As it progresses, MS can become a debilitating condition that reduces or even eliminates your capacity to work and earn a living for yourself and your family. And while you might actually qualify for SSD with multiple sclerosis, the SSA has strict criteria for approval, including the severity of your disease and its impact on your life.

At Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin, we know the SSA may not always be right in their assessments, and that’s why we want to build a strong SSD claim for you. You won’t have to pay us a cent unless we get you the benefits you deserve. Don’t wait to get help—contact us today.