Pines Salomon Personal Injury Lawyers | April 23, 2025 | Personal Injury
If you are disabled or in the process of filing for Social Security Disability, you are no doubt conducting thorough research about disabilities and the legal process. Whether you’re at the beginning stages, googling “best disability lawyers near me,” or at the medical journal deep dive stage, an experienced San Diego personal injury lawyer can help.
Ten Most Common Disabilities
About two million Americans in the US apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits each year. Based on Social Security Disability claims filed, these are the top ten disabilities people suffer from in San Diego, as well as throughout California and the United States:
- Physical Injuries: Spinal cord injuries, amputations, paralysis, traumatic brain injuries
- Connective Tissue and Musculoskeletal Conditions: Fibromyalgia, arthritis, scoliosis, carpal tunnel syndrome
- Nervous System Disorders: Epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, multiple sclerosis
- Circulatory System Disorders: High blood pressure, heart conditions, stroke
- Neoplasms: Tumors that limit functioning
- Intellectual Disabilities: Down syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder
- Psychotic Disorders: Schizophrenia, delusional disorder
- Mood Disorders: Depression, bipolar
- Mental Illness: Eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorders
- Organic Mental Disorders: Dementia, Alzheimer’s, obsessive-compulsive disorder
Your condition does not need to be popular to get approved.
What Qualifies for Short-Term Disability?
When you are only temporarily unable to work, this is where short-term disability comes into play. You must provide compelling medical documentation and proof of your lost wages. Common reasons that Californians go on short-term disability include:
- Pregnancy and giving birth
- Recovering from surgery
- Certain illnesses with long recovery times, such as mononucleosis
- Other injuries, like breaking both of your legs at the same time
- For mental health reasons, such as recovering from a family member’s suicide
To be eligible for short-term disability, you must have earned $300 on the job, been unable to work for eight days, and have seen a doctor about your condition.
What Qualifies for Long-Term Disability?
Long-term disability is for those who are unable to work for an extended period due to serious medical conditions. To qualify, you must provide thorough medical documentation and proof of your inability to work. Common conditions that may qualify for long-term disability include:
- Chronic illnesses, such as heart disease or diabetes
- Severe neurological conditions, like multiple sclerosis or Parkinson’s disease
- Serious mental health disorders, such as major depression or bipolar disorder
- Cancer and undergoing cancer treatments
- Permanent injuries, such as spinal cord injury or severe brain injury
- Musculoskeletal disorders, like severe arthritis or chronic back pain
To be eligible for long-term disability, you typically need to have worked a minimum amount of time, meet the required disability definition in your policy, and provide evidence from your healthcare provider that your condition prevents you from working.
Signs That You Will Be Approved for Disability
What medical conditions qualify for long-term disability and get approved for it? Typically, the strongest cases that tend to get approved have these things in common:
- The applicant is over the age of 50
- The applicant has the required time on the job
- The applicant has limited career options
- The medical condition is chronic and well-documented
- The applicant takes an active role in exploring new therapies and attempting to reduce symptoms, when possible
According to the VA and Arthritis Foundation, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis have some of the highest approval ratings.
Getting the Best Social Security Disability Lawyer
If you were indeed googling “disability lawyers near me,” you must be at the start of this process. In that case, here are five crucial questions we recommend you ask in order to find the best possible Social Security Disability lawyer:
- Do you handle appeals?
- Have you handled cases with my specific medical condition before?
- How many SSD claims have you worked on?
- How will you handle my case specifically? What’s your plan?
- Will there be any upfront costs?
With the acceptance rate for initial disability claims at just 22%, finding the best Social Security Disability lawyer in San Diego is key.
Contact the Personal Injury Lawyers of Pines Salomon Injury Lawyers in San Diego, CA, for Help Today
For more information, contact an experienced personal injury lawyer at Pines Salomon Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free initial consultation today.
We proudly serve San Diego County and its surrounding areas:
Pines Salomon Injury Lawyers – San Diego Office
835 5th Avenue #302, San Diego, CA 92101
(858) 551-2090
Available 24/7
Pines Salomon Injury Lawyers – La Jolla Office
4660 La Jolla Village Dr. San Diego, CA 92122
(858) 585-9031
Available 24/7
