Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers | April 22, 2025 | Personal Injury
Over 44 million Americans live with disabilities that affect not only their health but also their finances. You might require ongoing medical treatment or long-term therapy, and those necessities might also affect your ability to earn a living. As a result, you might pursue Social Security benefits, workers’ compensation benefits, or a personal injury claim.
Each of these options uses different standards for defining disabilities, though, which means you may need to search for “disability lawyers near me” to discuss your options for seeking compensation for your specific circumstances.
Defining “Disability”
The broad definition of “disability” used by the U.S. Census Bureau is any physical, cognitive, or emotional impairment that produces the following problems:
- Hearing difficulties
- Visual impairment
- Cognitive difficulty
- Motor difficulty
- Self-care difficulties
- Independent living difficulties
However, the Census Bureau does not administer benefit programs. To identify the signs that you will be approved for disability payments, you must understand the standards used to distribute such compensation.
The Social Security Administration (SSA), for instance, does not provide short-term disability benefits. Instead, workers’ comp insurers determine what qualifies for short-term disability benefits for injuries from workplace accidents.
Liability and disability insurers determine short-term disabilities for non-work injuries, but generally, they only care about whether you can work.
Conversely, the SSA determines what medical conditions qualify for long-term disability. Applicants can get SSA benefits for disabilities that prevent them from any gainful activity and will either last at least one year or cause their death.
Common Disabilities
Some of the disabilities that fall within the above definitions include the following:
Musculoskeletal Injuries
Joint sprains, muscle and tendon strains, and cartilage tears are all forms of musculoskeletal injuries. They are often the result of a blunt impact (like a fall) or hyperextension. A musculoskeletal injury can affect your mobility, self-care, and independent living.
Musculoskeletal Disease
Musculoskeletal diseases include arthritis, degenerative disc disease, and autoimmune disorders like fibromyalgia. These conditions represent the most common grounds for SSA benefits for working-age adults.
Back Injuries
Back injuries are the most common reason employees miss work and one of the most common grounds for workers’ compensation claims. Back injuries often include musculoskeletal injuries, which can compress nerves and lead to nerve damage.
Nerve Damage
Nerves can suffer damage when they are severed, stretched, or compressed. These injuries can produce paralysis, numbness, or pain.
Endocrine System Disease
Endocrine system diseases can affect metabolism and cell growth. Diabetes and some cancers are endocrine system diseases, and they can arise from genetics or exposure to toxins.
Cancer
Neoplasms, including both benign and malignant tumors, are a leading reason for SSA disability benefits. Cancer manifests when cells mutate and reproduce uncontrollably, producing malignant tumors. In addition to a possible terminal outcome, receiving cancer treatments can be hard on patients.
Brain Injuries
A brain injury can result from head trauma, a lack of oxygen, or exposure to toxins. You may experience physical symptoms, such as paralysis, slurred speech, and a loss of coordination, as well as cognitive symptoms, such as confusion and amnesia. You may also experience emotional symptoms, such as outbursts and paranoia.
Mental Illnesses
Imbalances in the brain’s chemistry, whether as a result of genetics or head injuries, can result in mental conditions such as schizophrenia, depression, and borderline personality disorder.
There are also anxiety disorders, which arise when the body’s natural attempts to keep you safe become hypersensitive. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one kind of anxiety disorder, and it can cause panic attacks, flashbacks, and overreactions to certain triggers.
Heart Disease
Heart disease is a leading cause of death in the U.S. It can also disable the patient by reducing their strength and stamina.
Top Disabilities And Recovering Compensation
The most common disabilities may take many forms, but one thing that each of them has in common is that they can result in compensation under Social Security, workers’ compensation, or a personal injury claim.
Contact the Atlanta Personal Injury Lawyers at Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers Today
For more information, contact the Atlanta personal injury law firm of Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free initial consultation. We have convenient locations in Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Lawrenceville, Mableton, Smyrna, and Roswell.
We serve Fulton County and its surrounding areas:
Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers – Atlanta
201 Joseph E Lowery Blvd NW Suite 312,
Atlanta, GA 30314
Open 24/7
(770) 900-9000
Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers – Sandy Springs
5555 Glenridge Con, Suite 975,
Sandy Springs, GA 30342
Open 24/7
(678) 990-7024
Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers – Lawrenceville
265 Culver St S. Suite A.
Lawrenceville, GA 30046
Open 24/7
(678) 990-7024
Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers – Mableton
5701 Mableton Pkwy SW Suite 108,
Mableton, GA 30126
Open 24/7
(706) 480-5487
Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers – Smyrna
2400 Herodian Way Ste#220,
Smyrna, GA 30080
Open 24/7
(678) 922-4497
Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers – Roswell
110 Mansell Cir #111,
Roswell, GA 30075
Open 24/7
(678) 582-8466