What can I do if a sudden injury prevents me from returning to work?

An accident or act of violence can change your life in an instant. Survivors of a serious accident may struggle to cope with not just their physical injuries, but the financial constraints as well. Major injuries often lead to a host of medical expenses and the inability to return to work. While your health insurance will hopefully cover a large portion of your medical costs, not all employees have disability insurance to cover your losses stemming from the inability to work. Our New York City Social Security Disability attorneys at Seelig Law Offices discuss your options if you are seriously injured in an accident below.

Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Claims

If you are not able to return to work after your accident, you will first want to investigate whether you have disability insurance. Disability insurance is often optional for employees. Employees that elect to enroll in the insurance program will pay for it through a payroll deduction. Disability insurance can be either short term or long term. Short term coverage will replace your income for a number of months or years, while long term disability insurance could last a lifetime.

You will need to submit a disability insurance claim to receive benefits. Your claim must include sufficient medical evidence to support your disability or you risk denial. Claims that are initially denied could still be approved on appeal.

Social Security Disability Claims

Employees without disability insurance may still have options to assist them through financial hardships due to a serious injury. Social Security Disability Insurance is a federally run program intended to provide aid to those that cannot work due to a permanent disabling condition. To qualify for SSD assistance, you must have paid Social Security taxes for a sufficiently long period to obtain enough work credits. Further, you must meet the definition of disabled, according to the Social Security Administration.
For those who are permanently disabled and qualify for SSD insurance, the program can be a life saver. Recipients could receive up to $2,687 per month, with the exact amount calculated based on your average lifetime earnings before your disability began. Contact an SSD insurance attorney for help with your disability benefits claim today.