Non-Medical Statements From Relatives And Employers Can Help Your Disability Case

There’s no question that the most important piece of evidence in your Social Security disability hearing is your medical records and the opinion of your doctor. However, non-medical statements from friends and family can be a great addition to your case.

What are the benefits of submitting non-medical statements?

• Having someone else verify your pain. Health issues like pain and fatigue can be impossible to see from the outside – and, to put it bluntly, they can easily be lied about. If you have a close family member, such as a parent or spouse, describe what they see during their daily life with you, it can help a judge understand how you are really suffering. When you say, “I’m in pain,” the judge has to take your word for it. If your wife says, “My husband is in so much pain he has to sleep in a recliner instead in our bed,” the judge truly sees how your life has been affected by pain.
• Adding credibility to your statements. A non-medical statement from a family member is much like having a witness on the stand describe a crime. It is an excellent way for a judge to verify your story and understand that what you are saying is true.
• Humanizing your story. A letter from a spouse, a child, or a parent can truly illustrate how disability has affected your life, your work, and your family. You may be too embarrassed to admit that you cry when you put on your shoes or that you need help in the bathroom. Your loved ones can make sure that a judge knows just what you go through every day.
• Verifying that you can no longer work. Some of the most powerful non-medical statements come from past employers who have watched you struggle at work with your health condition or who understand that you can no longer do your job safely or while staying pain-free. A statement from a former employer also adds credibility to your case. 

Non-medical statements can have a huge affect on your case – especially if you select the right people to write them and especially if those people understand how your disability affects your daily life and your ability to work.

Do you want to learn more about how you can get the Social Security disability benefits that you deserve? Contact a Houston disability attorney at Morgan & Weisbrod today.

by Paul B. Burkhalter
Managing Partner of Morgan & Weisbrod, Board Certified in Social Security Disability Law.

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