DDS & Medical Source Statements for South Florida Applicants

When applying for disability benefits in Florida you will need to provide evidence that you have a medically determinable physical or mental impairment. The most common way to do this is to provide a medical source statement to the Disability Determination Services, a state agency that assists the SSA in the processing of disability claims. Your South Florida Social Security disability lawyer can help you with filing your claim and dealing with Disability Determination Services.

How to Obtain a Medical Source Statement

Your medical source statement is obtained from your primary treating doctor for your disabling condition. The medical source statement should provide an opinion of your functional limitations as created by your condition. Because this statement should provide the doctor's analysis of how your condition affects your ability to work, it should be submitted by the treating doctor most familiar with your condition history.

In most cases, Disability Determination Services will be the ones to request the medical source statement. This is done through the request for a consultative examination with your treating physician, but may also be done by an independent source in some claims for disability benefits in Florida.

Submitting a Medical Source Statement to Disability Determination Services

Disability Determination Services is responsible for the initial and reconsideration decisions on your claim for disability benefits in Florida. The medical source statement is one of the major pieces of evidence they will use in making their decision on your claim. The statement can also be used in the medical vocational guidelines evaluation to determine a decision on your disability status.

Generally, Disability Determination Services will attempt to make their decision based solely on the medical evidence they can obtain from the sources you provide in your application (doctors' names, treatment dates, etc.). If they cannot determine your eligibility for disability benefits in Florida with this information they will request a consultative examination which will produce your medical source statement.

How Your Medical Source Statement Affects Your Claim

Applying for disability benefits in Florida can be more difficult if your disabling condition is not easily evidenced by medical records. If you were unable to provide adequate medical records, had poor treatment history, or have a difficult-to-prove condition Disability Determination Services may need more information. The request for a medical source statement means that you need a doctor's evaluation to confirm that your disability limits your ability to work.

The medical source statement needs to reflect upon how your condition impacts your everyday life and ability to perform substantial gainful activity. Your claim for disability benefits in Florida depends on proving that your condition impairs you from performing your former job and other types of work that you are suited for. While the medical source statement provides the bulk of this evidence, a South Florida Social Security disability lawyer can help you develop your case further.

Contacting a South Florida Social Security Disability Lawyer

Filing for Social Security disability benefits is complicated and time-consuming, but at LaVan & Neidenberg, P.A., our team of disability attorneys is ready for the challenge. We like to empower our clients by providing a FREE Social Security disability guide so you can learn more about the process of filing for disability benefits. When you're ready to get started, contact The Law Offices of LaVan & Neidenberg, P.A. to begin your claim. Our state-of-the-art, customized intake and database system means less hassle, so you can focus on what's most important to you instead of having to spend your days wading through confusing legalese and legal red tape. Call today - 1-888-234-5758.

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