The Importance of Medical Records in Social Security Disability

When talking to someone about working with them on their Social Security Disability case, one of the first questions I have is whether they are seeing doctors. If not, they need to try to start. Some people say they do not have insurance or enough money to see a doctor. I still say try and go to a clinic or something similar to get some sort of medical records. So this begs the question: Why are medical records so important for a Social Security Disability case?

While Social Security does like to hear from claimant’s about their disabilities, the fact of the matter is Social Security does not know you. For example, if you claim you have so much back pain you must be lying on the couch half the day, Social Security really struggles to take your word for it. However, if you claim it as the truth, your doctor agrees, and there are X-rays of your back showing this, Social Security is much more likely to believe you and therefore, approve your claim.

Furthermore, as many of you might know, Social Security will often send you to a doctor for an evaluation. This doctor will not know you and your conditions, so if the doctor claims you are not disabled, how will you argue against his evidence without medical records of your own? In fact, Social Security has determined in the past that the opinion of treating physician (a doctor you see regularly) is to be given more weight than a doctor that you do not see.

For all these reasons and more, Social Security Disability lawyers very much want their clients to be seeing doctors to improve the strength of their Social Security Disability claim.