Common Physical Limitations in Disability Claims
When you deal with a disability that affects every area of your life—you must convince the SSA that your disability prevents you from working—you may begin to feel hopeless, as well as frustrated and overwhelmed. Having an experienced Social Security disability attorney helping you obtain disability benefits can make a significant difference in the outcome. It can also go a long way toward decreasing the frustrations you have likely already encountered. Attorney Brian Carmichael serves those seeking physical limitations in disability claims benefits across the nation.
Brian offers a free comprehensive consultation that will answer your questions concerning Social Security disability benefits. The Carmichael Law Group has over 300 positive Google reviews, and years of experience helping disabled individuals receive the benefits they need and deserve. When you have encountered one stumbling block after another while trying to obtain SSD benefits, don’t give up—Contact the Carmichael Law Group and speak to attorney Brian Carmichael.
What Are Functional Physical Limitations?
As you work to secure Social Security disability benefits you may have encountered the term “functional limitations.” A functional limitation is a restriction or impairment in an individual’s ability to function that falls outside the normal range for a particular activity. In simpler terms, a functional limitation determines your ability to work and make a living. A functional limitation can be mental, physical, or environmental.
Physical limitations in disability claims related to physical activities could be easy to spot like difficulty walking, sitting, standing, balancing, or kneeling, or could be less obvious like an inability to reach out and handle an object, difficulty feeling sizes, shapes, and textures, or issues with hearing or vision. Environmental functional limitations can relate to mental or physical issues. As an example, you might be able to sit, stand, and walk for your job, but the presence of certain chemicals, dust, noise, or extreme heat or cold may prevent you from working at your normal job.
When your injury or illness prevents you from working at your current job or training for a new job, the SSA must pay you disability benefits. Perhaps you work as a bookkeeper or accountant. You have trained for this job and have worked in this field for more than two decades. If you develop an illness or sustain an injury that prevents you from sitting for longer than a few minutes, turning your head, or lifting your hands above your waist, you would not be able to continue your current job.
Depending on the extent of your disability, the SSA might determine you are eligible for benefits, might require further proof that your disability prevents you from working, or may determine that you are young enough and/or able enough to train for a different type of work. You may need to submit evidence to the SSA that your disability limits your ability or prevents you from performing certain physical tasks like:
- Climbing
- Balancing
- Walking
- Performing tasks that require manual dexterity
- Seeing or hearing
- Crawling
- Crouching
- Kneeling
- Performing tasks requiring arms or hands
- Reaching
- Sitting
- Standing
- Bending over
How Do Physical Limitations in Disability Claims Affect Disability Benefits?
The Social Security Administration determines your physical limitations in disability claims based on “residual functional capacity.” Your residual functional capacity (or RFC) describes what you can do. The SSA will determine the requirements of your job (physical, mental, and environmental), then subtract your specific limitations. Your RFC is what remains. The more limitations you have, the lower your RFC. To obtain Social Security disability benefits, the lower your RFC, the better, as a low RFC shows your disability has limited your ability to work or train for a new job.
Your Voice in the Fight for the Justice You Deserve
Here's What Sets Our Team Apart
Carmichael Law Group guides you through every step, from applications to appeals, with clear communication and strategic advocacy.
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Focused on Results
We fight tirelessly to secure the benefits you deserve, using strategic legal expertise to achieve the best possible outcome.
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Honest GuidanceWe prioritize clear communication, ethical advocacy, and transparency, ensuring you understand your rights and options.
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Proven Track Record
With years of experience and thousands of successful cases, we provide skilled representation at every stage of your claim.
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Compassionate Advocates
We treat every client with respect, empathy, and personalized attention, guiding you through the SSD process with care.
Understanding the Application and Appeals Processes
Applying for Social Security disability requires you to show, with medical evidence, that you cannot work any type of job for 12 months or longer. Applicants who are 50 or older will have more leniency if they cannot do their previous job-related tasks.
Required Documentation
Information that is necessary to file a claim includes:
- Medical diagnosis
- Doctor’s name and contact information
You’ll need to show that your condition impacts your work history, and you can strengthen your application with medical records, tests and other evidence. Supplying these documents from the start can speed up the approval or denial process.
Qualifying disabilities must be proven with medical evidence, such as doctor notes, hospitalizations, treatment history and outcomes, imaging scans and lab reports.
Even when you think that you’ve supplied every piece of evidence necessary, your application can still be denied.
What if My Application is Denied? Can I Appeal?
An initial denial doesn’t bar you from receiving benefits permanently. You can fight a denial through an appeals process that starts with a request for reconsideration, which requests a new review of your application and must be filed quickly.
If your request is denied, you can move to three additional steps of appeals:
- Request a hearing with an administrative law judge who will review the decision.
- Request an Appeals Council review if the administrative judge denies your application.
- Petition the District Court to make a decision.
Denials are never ideal. Following the right strategies can improve your odds of your benefits being approved.
