Unfortunately, you may have been made the victim of a catastrophic car accident that left you with severe bodily injuries. And after your immediate emergency room visit and necessary follow-up appointments with your primary care physician, you may be given the devastating diagnosis that you are permanently disabled. Evidently, this may drastically shift the trajectory of your life as you once expected it to go. So for financial support, while you figure out what your road to recovery will look like, you may turn to the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits program. Well, continue reading to learn whether you can get SSDI benefits if you are permanently disabled after a car accident and how a lawyer experienced in SSDI eligibility in New Jersey, at The Law Offices of Sheryl Gandel Mazur, can help you receive the financial aid you need.
How can I get SSDI benefits if I am permanently disabled from a car accident?
First of all, following your catastrophic car accident, it is possible that you incurred serious injuries to your brain, back, soft tissues, or appendages. Below are examples of each:
- You may have incurred a traumatic brain injury that hinders your mobility (i.e., your ability to stand, use your arms, etc).
- You may have incurred a broken vertebra in your spine which leads to permanent nerve damage or paralysis.
- You may have incurred burns to your arms, legs, torso, face, or head that require ongoing surgical treatments.
- You may have incurred a non-healing fracture in your arm or leg that makes it non-functional for the foreseeable future.
Of note, the above examples are all listed in the SSA’s Listing of Impairments that qualify for SSDI benefits. This is all to say that, yes, you may apply for this financial assistance program after your car accident. But this is so long as you can also prove that these injuries are expected to be permanent; or, at the very least; expected to make no apparent improvements within the next 12 months. Further, you must demonstrate that you cannot return to your job with this disability and there are no other jobs that cater to its limitations.
How can the disability onset date impact when I can get my SSDI benefits?
Essentially, the disability onset date is the first day that you meet the SSA’s definition of an eligible disability. Further, this may affect your monthly SSDI benefits amounts and the period you receive them. If you incurred your disability from a car accident, it is easy to conclude that your disability onset date was your accident date. This is regardless of whether you worked on this day. And this is regardless of whether you received your diagnosis at a later date.
This blog is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to SSDI eligibility laws in the state of New Jersey. So for more information, please reach out to a lawyer skilled in SSDI eligibility in New Jersey, at the Law Offices of Sheryl Gandel Mazur, today.
