Massachusetts Social Security Disability Lawyers Blog

Have you planned for a disability? Do you know what your rights are to public or private insurance? Public assistance and welfare programs are constantly under scrutiny for potential abuses and for “draining the system.” While there have certainly been cases of fraud or abuse, the majority of disability payouts go to individuals who have legitimately suffered in an accident, work injury, or who have suffered from a disease that leaves them unable to work. For many victims, seeking out benefits is a last resort.

In addition to Social Security Disability Income (SSD or SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), private disability insurance is another option for individuals who are no longer able to work. Whether you are seeking benefits for yourself or a loved one, it is important to have a clear understanding of your rights and options regarding both public and private insurance benefits.

For millions of Americans, private disability insurance is not an option or the program will not cover the extent of costs after disability. Our Massachusetts Social Security Disability Insurance attorneys are dedicated to helping victims of disability and their loved ones collect benefits at the time of need. We are experienced in navigating the Social Security benefits system and in helping our clients quickly and effectively recover the financial support they need. We are also committed to keeping our community aware of disability benefits options to ensure that they have the financial assistance required in the event of an accident, unexpected disease or illness.

What is SSDI?
Social Security Disability (SSD or SSDI) is a federally funded insurance program managed by the Social Security Administration. The program provides income supplements to those who are unable to work because of a documented disability. Disability benefits can be supplied on a temporary or permanent basis and can be based on a physical or mental impairment. In addition to SSD, individuals may also be entitled to disability benefits from their employer or through a private insurance carrier.

How does SSDI impact private disability coverage?
According to the SSA, your ability to collect private insurance does not prohibit you from also collecting SSDI. Keep in mind that the amount you recover from pensions or private insurance could reduce the amount you collect through SSDI. If you collect workers’ compensation or are seeking SSDI coverage, remember that your total disability support cannot be more than 80% of your income before you were disabled.

According to the SSA, one in four 20-year-olds will be disabled and unable to work before they reach the age of 67. There were more than 650,000 disabled workers collecting long-term disability benefits through an employer-sponsored group in 2012. Private disability insurance has also been an asset to individuals who have lost their ability to work. In most cases, long-term disability is only 60% of a prior salary, requiring victims to adjust their lifestyle. However, for those who collect long-term disability, these payouts are often not enough to cover living expenses and medical bills.

If you have a private disability insurance plan and are considering applying for SSDI, providing documentation and understanding your rights is critical. As advocates, we are experiencing in reviewing benefits claims on a case-by-case basis to ensure that you get the maximum recovery you are entitled to.
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A federal audit estimating some $1.3 billion in fraudulent over-payments by the Social Security Administration through its disability program is likely to result in more intensive scrutiny of new claims.

Our Boston SSDI attorneys are frustrated by this revelation because despite the news and widespread negative public perception of claimants, it is not easy for those who are legitimately ill to successfully obtain benefits. It is a long and arduous process, and many people – especially those who don’t have adequate representation from an SSDI attorney – end up falling through the cracks.
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Serious workplace injuries are among the top reasons why people in Massachusetts seek Social Security Disability Insurance benefits.

A recent Social Security Administration report found that injuries were the sixth-leading cause of SSDI claims, and even those claims that don’t involve injuries are often job-related.

Now, our Boston SSDI claims attorneys understand that Allsup has conducted research to help determine what are the most dangerous states for workers and what jobs in particular are responsible for the most disability-causing injuries. The research is based on figures from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The findings reveal that there is a wide variation of workplace injury rates from state-to-state, even within the same industry.

As it turns out, Massachusetts is among the top five safest states in the country, tying at No. 3 with Alaska, Delaware, West Virginia and Wyoming, with a rate of 0.4 worker injuries or illnesses per 100 workers.

By contrast, Maine, deemed the most dangerous state in the nation, had a worker injury/illness rate of 1.4 per 100 workers.

There are no simple answers for the disparity, according to reporters are TIME, who indicate there is a convergence of relevant factors. For example, places like New York and D.C., which ranked safer on the list, tended to have more white collar, office-type jobs. Meanwhile, states like Maine and Louisiana, which both ranked high on the danger-meter, had large industries centered around historically treacherous industries like commercial fishing and oil services.

In looking at state-to-state variances within the same industry, there were some interesting results. For example, vehicle manufacturing in Tennessee resulted in a serious worker injury rate of 1.1 to 100 workers. Meanwhile in North Carolina, the serious worker injury rate for vehicle manufacturing was 3.5 to 100. For nurses in Maine, the serious injury/illness rate is 7.1 per 100, while the national average is 1.5 to 100.

This information is important because while a great deal of attention is paid to workplace fatalities, workplace injuries tend to go unnoticed. It’s estimated there are some 1 million U.S. workers annually who experience an injury that causes them to lose at least one day of work annually.

Learning how these injuries happen, how they are reported and how states and industries respond is important if we have any serious hope of driving down the increase in SSDI rolls.

While the national list of dangerous jobs ranges from amusement park worker (No. 1) to poultry and egg production (No. 10), the dangerous industry list for Massachusetts varies slightly.

According to a recent report by the Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health, the top five most dangerous jobs here are:

• Fire service;
• Construction;
• Fishing;
• Transportation;
• Tree care removal.

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