Black & Jones Wins Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits for Blind Client

This client came to Black & Jones with a scary story. He had suffered almost complete loss of vision in one eye many years before. Since that time, he has had no trouble with vision in his other eye. He had a family, a life and remained a valued employee. His work was rewarding to him and allowed him to travel all over the United States meeting new people, working in diverse environments and seeing the beauty that America holds.

Unfortunately, while working in a U.S. territory, he had some contaminated water spray into his face and eyes. Despite quickly trying to rinse his eyes out and finish his work for the day, he began to notice vision loss and had to return to the United States for immediate medical attention. Within just a few hours, he lost almost all vision in his good eye. He couldn’t see. He couldn’t work. He was lost.

After listening to his story, it was clear to us that the doctors did not think this client’s vision would improve. Without vision in either eye, it was unlikely he would ever return to gainful employment again. Black & Jones recommended that he apply for Social Security Disability benefits for his blindness. With his permission, we filed the application with him.

Gathering the Evidence and Applying

In order to prove that a claimant is entitled to Social Security Disability benefits based on blindness, there must be evidence that remaining vision in the better eye after best correction is 20/22 or less. If the evidence demonstrates this threshold or less, then the claimant meets the listings to be found blind by the Social Security Administration (SSA). It was important that we initiate the application for benefits right away. Normally a claimant needs to be off work for at least 12 months. However, if the evidence is clear that the disability (vision loss) is unlikely to improve, there is no need to wait 12 months. So, we filed the application for benefits along with medical records and evidence which clearly demonstrated that his visual acuity in the better eye was less than 20/200.

Streamlining the Process

The SSA found that the client was disabled as a result of blindness on the initial application! What made the difference in ensuring such a fast decision was our well-written application that included:

• A clear listing of all the medical providers the claimant was treated by
• Accurate and complete reporting on the activities of daily living and work history questionnaires
• A complete copy of medical records which demonstrated the evidence needed to justify an award of benefits.

In truth, this client should have been awarded benefits regardless of representation solely based on his medical records. But having a knowledgeable and experienced attorney on his side helped to ensure a quick decision on the initial application without the wasted time of having to go through several appeals like most claimants are forced to do. Nothing can replace one’s vision or ability to earn an income from gainful employment, but we are proud to have been able to help this client!

For a free consultation of your own case, call Black & Jones Attorneys at Law at 815-967-9000 or fill out the form to get started!