Intelligent, Aggressive Representation For The Injured And Disabled
Quarters of CoverageIn order to qualify for Social Security disability, a Claimant must have a certain amount of "quarters of coverage." A quarter of coverage is the basic unit for determining whether a worker is insured under the Social Security program. The amount...
Obergefell v. Hodges and Federal BenefitsOn June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court issued a decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, holding that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry in all states. This decision has far-reaching effects for both Social Security...
DISABILITY SEVERANCE PAY AND VA DISABLITY BENEFITS 38 CFR 3.700 prohibits the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from paying compensation to a Veteran who also received certain separation benefits from the Department of Defense (DoD), including but not limited to,...
Sunday, August 2, marked the 25th Anniversary of the Gulf War. From a Congressional standpoint, and under VA-recognized law, this period of war has not ended. This is particularly important for Veterans who have served in any branch of the armed services since August...
KNOWING YOUR CLIENT'S WORK HISTORYAs any Social Security disability attorney or practitioner can tell you, one of the most important facts in a Social Security case is a claimant's work history. It affects multiple aspects of the disability decision, particularly...
NEW VA FINAL RULE FOR RATING MENTAL DISABILITIES On March 19, 2015, the Federal Register published final rule, AO96-F - Schedule for Rating Disabilities - Mental Disorders and Definition of Psychosis for Certain VA Purposes. The final rule applies to all claims for VA...
Low Birth Weight in Infants Because low birth weight infants may experience problems related to their prematurity and associated perinatal complications, the Social Security Administration has made low birth weight a criteria for disability of a child under...
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN CLAIMANTS DIE BEFORE THEIR SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY BENEFITS ARE AWARDED?The process for appealing a denial of Social Security disability benefits is a long one. In Mobile, it can take 14 to 16 months to have a hearing scheduled. This can easily...
Victory Health PartnersLast week, Colin Kemmerly, partner at Gardberg & Kemmerly, P.C., and I were invited to have lunch with Dr. Robert Lightfoot, Executive/Medical Director, and Ms. Kim Garrett, Development Director, of Victory Health Partners. Victory Health...
HOW DOES THE VA RATE FOOT DISABILITIES? Are you a veteran who has service connected foot injuries? Are both of your feet affected? Did the VA erroneously combine your left foot disability with your right foot disability and assign a "bilateral" rating? If so, you...