Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that can cause unrelenting pain and be severely debilitating. Over time, an employee diagnosed with osteoarthritis can lose the ability to work, as the chronic pain and limited mobility associated with the disease can be disabling.
Although this condition is serious and prevalent in aging adults, disability claims for osteoarthritis and similar conditions are routinely denied. Without the help of an experienced legal team, it can be challenging to successfully file for disability benefits for osteoarthritis.
As the Philadelphia, PA, and mid-Atlantic region’s most experienced disability law firm, we at Rosen, Moss, Snyder & Bleefeld, LLP understand how osteoarthritis disability claims are handled and how to successfully demonstrate the need for benefits. In this article, we’ll discuss osteoarthritis claims and why attempting to file without trusted legal help is ill-advised.
The Debilitating Symptoms of Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a slowly progressing disease can impact any joint in the human body, although it most commonly affects the hands, hips, knees, and spine. As the cartilage in these joints wears away over time, bones that had been separated and cushioned by cartilage begin to rub against each other.
This can cause a range of symptoms, including:
- Chronic Pain & Tenderness
- Joint Stiffness & Decreased Mobility
- Synovitis, or Swelling near the Joint
- Crepitus, or Grinding of Bone
- Bone Spurs
These symptoms can worsen over time, making it impossible for many patients to continue working in the same capacity as before.
The Risks of Filing for Disability Alone
Although osteoarthritis is a disabling condition that is understood by disability insurance providers, many patients fail to successfully file for disability benefits. Even with substantial documentation and a diagnosis from your doctor, the insurer may still decide to deny your claim, at which point you will have a limited time to appeal the claim.
Appealing a denial of benefits is not something to take lightly, either. At this stage, the documentation you place in your case file is critical, as it will be the only evidence you will be allowed to use to support your case if the appeal gets denied.
A Trusted Disability Law Firm Makes a Difference
At Rosen, Moss, Snyder & Bleefeld, LLP, we’ve helped employees with osteoarthritis throughout the Philadelphia and mid-Atlantic region file for disability benefits and obtain the compensation they need to survive. We also understand the complexities of the appeals process and how to stack your file to give you the best chances at winning a favorable result in court.
If you wish to file a disability claim for osteoarthritis or another disabling condition, or if you’ve received a denial notice and need a disability law firm near Montgomery County, PA, you can trust, contact the attorneys at Rosen, Moss, Snyder & Bleefeld, LLP right away. We have convenient offices in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.