Ehlers-Danlos Disability Benefits

Is Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome a Disability that Qualifies for Financial Help?

You can seek Social Security Disability benefits if you’re living with serious effects of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Benefits include monthly income support to help with vital expenses and make your life easier.

Getting approved for benefits, however, may not be easy.

With this genetic disorder of connective body tissues, one that comes in different forms for different people, it can be complicated to explain your case to Social Security.

You must be unable to work to get benefits. Some Ehlers-Danlos symptoms in your joints, skin, muscles, blood vessels and more could be enough to make working impossible. If you’re prone to dislocations, or at risk of blood vessel ruptures or organ damage, you may qualify for disability benefits.

You just have to present your information in the proper way, or you could be denied.

At Morgan & Weisbrod, our Social Security Disability attorneys regularly help Texans dealing in this situation. We know what to do:

We’ve helped thousands of people.
We have 80 years of combined experience.
Our lawyers are board certified in disability law.

With offices in Dallas-Fort Worth and a team in Houston, our disability lawyers serve all of Texas.

Let us help you get relief from the financial strain of life with Ehlers-Danlos and a better foundation to take care of yourself.

How Do I Qualify for Social Security Disability with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome?

The Social Security Administration (SSA) maintains an official list of impairments that can qualify you for disability benefits. For each medical condition, the list tells you what symptoms you can report and what types of medical evidence you can submit to prove your disability claim.

A challenge with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is that it doesn’t appear on this list.

But you can still get disability benefits for Ehlers-Danlos syndrome using two strategies.

No. 1: Document symptoms you may have from impairments that do appear the list, such as:

Musculoskeletal conditions
Gastrointestinal disorders
Cardiovascular disorders
Visual impairments

No. 2: Show how you’re limited in everyday activities:

Standing
Walking
Lifting
Carrying
Pushing and pulling
Sitting for long periods
Crouching
Reaching
Handling objects
Using information
Following instructions
Working with others in a job setting

Social Security has a measure for these basic abilities called your “residual functional capacity,” or RFC. Your doctor can help determine your RFC.

No matter what health condition you have, and no matter whether it appears on the impairments list or not—Ehlers-Danlos syndrome or anything else—if your RFC shows you can’t hold a job, you can be approved for Social Security Disability.

An experienced Texas Social Security Disability lawyer guides you through this process, identifying the symptoms you can include in your disability claim, collecting the medical records to confirm your symptoms and coordinating with your doctor.

Start by having a no-cost, no-obligation conversation about your needs with the Dallas disability attorneys at Morgan & Weisbrod.

Get My Free Case Evaluation!

Symptoms of Ehlers-Danlos Sydrome You Can Include in Your Disability Benefits Claim

Medical experts such as the Cleveland Clinic, the Mayo Clinic and the Ehlers-Danlos Society describe the kinds of symptoms of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome that you can include in your application for Social Security Disability:

Joints that are too flexible (joint hypermobility)
Pain in joints and muscles
Constant fatigue
Skin that’s too thin and stretches too much (skin hyperextensibility)
Tendency to bruise
Unusual skin scarring
Taking too long to heal from small injuries (tissue fragility)
Trouble focusing on tasks
Fragility of blood vessels and cardiovascular system
Fragility of abdominal organs
Fragility of your eyes

When you’re applying for disability benefits, you have to explain to Social Security how your symptoms prevent you from working.

But you can’t just talk about it. You also have to prove the severity of your symptoms with confirmation from your health care providers in the form of medical test results, medical imaging, reports from physical exams and more.

The work of getting Social Security Disability benefits is draining in itself, adding to the exhaustion you suffer with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

Your Social Security Disability attorney is here to make it easier on you.

A Dallas disability lawyer or Houston disability lawyer from Morgan & Weisbrod removes the pressure of building your disability case, helps you avoid mistakes, helps you get the best possible chance of winning benefits, and makes sure you’re treated with dignity and respect along the way.

When Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is burdening you, let us help you win disability benefits and a more secure life for yourself.