Can I Claim Disability After a Stroke in Wisconsin?

What Evidence Do I Need for a Stroke Disability Claim in Wisconsin?

The Social Security Administration (SSA) includes strokes in its list of qualifying impairments, meaning that it has a specific way of evaluating stroke disability claims.

Under listing 11.04: Vascular insult to the brain, a claims examiner will want to see at least one of the following limitations:

1. Sensory or motor aphasia that results in ineffective speech or an inability to communicate
2. Disorganization of motor function in two extremities that results in an extreme limitation in the ability to stand up from a seated position, stay balanced while standing or walking, or use the upper extremities
3. A marked limitation in physical functioning and at least one of the following areas of mental functioning:
   1. Understanding, remembering or applying information
   2. Interacting with others
   3. Concentrating on a task, persisting or maintaining pace
   4. Adapting or managing yourself and your emotions

For any of these symptoms, you need to be able to show that you’ve experienced them for at least three consecutive months after your stroke.

Of course, you can’t just tell Social Security about these symptoms and hope to win benefits. You’ll need evidence to back up your stroke disability claim.

Items that can help include:

• Your doctor’s assessment of your everyday functioning
• Imaging results, including CT scans and MRIs
• Hospitalization records
• Information about treatments you’ve tried, like speech and physical therapy
• Medical records showing how your symptoms have failed to improve over time
• A list of prescription medications you take, their effects and their side effects
• Information about any mobility aids you now require
• Evidence of other conditions that affect your ability to work, like anxiety and depression

Putting together a convincing claim for SSDI benefits is challenging, especially when you’re already worrying about your health and your finances.

A local disability attorney in Wisconsin can help you put together your evidence and make it clear how the symptoms you’ve experienced in the aftermath of a stroke leave you unable to work.

Can My Age Affect My Stroke Disability Claim?

An important thing to understand about Social Security Disability claims is that your physical or mental abilities are the main issue, but they aren’t the only factors Social Security uses to determine if you can work.

A big consideration when you apply for disability after suffering a stroke will be whether you are 50 or over. The SSA understands that transitioning to a new job gets more difficult as you get older, even if you begin to improve in the months after a stroke.

SSDI applicants are divided into four age groups:

If you are in one of these older age groups, you may qualify for disability even if Social Security believes you might be able to do some form of sedentary work.

Once you reach full retirement age, your SSDI benefits transition into Social Security retirement benefits.

Your education level and any transferable job skills you have also impact your stroke disability claim.

A Northeast Wisconsin disability attorney can tell you more about what Social Security looks for and what it takes to qualify for benefits.

When Should I Talk to a Wisconsin Disability Attorney?

You may think that your stroke symptoms obviously make it impossible to work and that you don’t need assistance applying for disability benefits. You just need to fill out some forms and send in some medical records, right?

It seems simple enough, but the application process for Social Security Disability benefits is more complicated and time-consuming than it looks. It’s easy to make mistakes that can cause delays to your benefits or result in denials.

We recommend meeting with a disability lawyer as soon as you think that you have a valid stroke disability claim.

Some lawyers will tell you to apply on your own and come back if you get denied disability benefits, but that’s not how the Geary Disability Law team does things.

We’ll help you:

• Gather and organize medical evidence that can strengthen your claim
• Identify specific job duties your symptoms prohibit you from doing
• Go over your daily routine to find chores and other everyday activities you now struggle with
• Fill out SSA application forms
• Appeal if Social Security denies your initial application
• Stay aware of important deadlines
• Prepare for your disability hearing in front of an administrative law judge

From our office in Appleton, our firm has helped hundreds of people in Green Bay, Oshkosh, Wausau and across the Fox Valley and Northeast Wisconsin since Tim Geary founded the firm.

Over his career, Tim Geary has personally represented more than 1,700 people at disability hearings.

We know this process well, and we understand how stressful it is to wait months or even longer to receive benefits and medical coverage.

Work with a local disability lawyer who will give your case the attention it deserves.