In the United States alone, more than 4.5 million Americans currently have at least one total knee replacement with nearly 1.5 million of those Americans being between 50 – 69 years old. Knee replacements are a fairly common surgery being sought by those who wish to have their mobility returned without the constant pain and struggles that come with the deterioration of the knee, and it’s a surgery that is on the rise with the growing number of older individuals in the country.
Knee surgery is sought by a number of different people. For some, their careers required a lot of physical activity and movement, causing their knees to deteriorate over time. Others had highly active personal lives and hobbies, which contributed to the deterioration of their knees. Still, others seek these surgeries because health issues have caused their knees to need to be replaced so that they can still be mobile and be independent, which is what these surgeries aim to do for those seeking them. Needing a knee replacement means to have easier mobility, a healthier life, and days filled with less pain, which can give a patient a new outlook on life.
Sometimes, though, these surgeries do not accomplish this goal, and so a patient is left in a situation in which they cannot work either to their full capability or cannot work at all, meaning that they will need to begin the process of filing for social security disability benefits, which can be a long process that may require the help of a knowledgeable insurance disability lawyer.
The application process to get these benefits is a multi-step process, which can be difficult to complete. There are, however, certain steps you can complete yourself to make sure you are pretty well prepared before you talk with a lawyer about setting up your application. These steps include:
Having MRI/CT scans: These scans are required to have for your disability application. They work to show your pre and post-surgery diagnosis, and can clearly show the insurance your disability percentage, which is something they will need while determining if you qualify.
Documented past and current treatment plans: Showing all of the attempts you and your doctors have made to help and manage your pain and situation is important to show to the group deciding if you qualify for disability. If you can show you’ve attempted years of other options and have had no success, the people deciding your eligibility will often more clearly see your need for assistance.
Medical history: Have all pertinent medical history included in your files to show the dates and instances of your health issues and how they have been attempted to be treated will give a clear picture of you as a candidate and will show how seriously you’ve taken your health before this point.
Residual Functional Capacity test: This is necessary if you think you need an MVA. This test shows your ability to do basic functions like standing, sitting, walking, etc. The less you can perform in this test, the more you may qualify for benefits.
There is more to this process, but this is the best place you as a patient can start. Once you have all of these files in place, you can contact the appropriate help and get started on filing all the paperwork to get you the benefits you need.
Once you have had an unsuccessful knee surgery and need help with either filing for disability benefits or have been wrongfully denied these benefits, call the lawyers at Edelstein & Nelson. We can help you get the benefits you deserve and help you return to a life that is as normal as possible. Call us today at 800-887-4529 to discuss your case today.