The Importance of Medical Records

The Importance of Medical Records in an SSDI Case

Frequently medical records are handwritten rather than typed, and typically are full of medical abbreviations. To someone not familiar with the medical terminology of the condition in question or unfamiliar with medical abbreviations, such records appear incomprehensible. I have over 20 years of experience reading medical records, and using them to win disability cases.

It is important to obtain all relevant records. I recall a case involving a woman who was seeking disability due to a back condition, but had mentioned that she also had knee pain, I was able to obtain an X-ray report of her knee from a hospital that she went to several years earlier, and on the basis of that report I was able to show that she met one of the orthopedic medical listings. She won her claim months earlier than she would otherwise have won, and received thousands of dollars of additional benefits.

It is important to understand not only what is in the medical records, but what is missing from the records. A claimant can qualify for disability by showing that he or she has a medical condition that is described in the Listings of Medical Impairments, but to meet this standard the medical records must show that the claimant has each of the medical findings and symptoms required by the listing. The listing may not be met because a laboratory test or clinical test was simply never done. It is important that your attorney be able to spot what is missing from the records so that the missing laboratory or clinical test can be obtained, and possibly provide the missing link to a favorable decision.

Contact the Law Offices of Stuart Pastor for an Appointment

For a free initial consultation — at my office or over the phone — contact my office to schedule an appointment. Call toll-free, 1-888-616-6162, or send me an e-mail.