When hurt on the job, your focus should be on healing. Unfortunately, worker’s compensation claims are synonymous with heaps of paperwork and hoops to jump through. If your injury was debilitating, you might qualify for Social Security disability. But before you can collect payments, the Social Security Administration (SSA) needs to verify your condition.
The SSA uses the Blue Book, which contains a listing of impairments, to determine if an injury or illness qualifies for Social Security disability.
The sections of the Blue Book
There are two parts to the Blue Book. Part A notes all injuries and illnesses related to adults, while Part B focuses on children. Conditions included in the Listing of Impairments are debilitating to the point of being unable to perform meaningful tasks. Each part splits into subsections, each containing information about a specific system in the body. These include, but are not limited to:
- Muskuloskeletal
- Endocrine Disorders
- Neurological
- Hematological Disorders
- Cardiovascular
- Respiratory
The individual impairment listings
The list sets out to define the levels of severity for each impairment. The SSA may not consider your hardship severe enough to receive compensation. If they did include your ailment, you still need to verify the condition. Each entry will note specific tests and exams you need from your doctor.
If you cannot find your condition in the catalog, do not despair. You may qualify under a closely related entry or combination of ailments. Furthermore, you may still be able to prove disability for disorders not noted in the listing of impairments.