When a 52-year-old man from Livonia, Michigan, came to Disability Law Group, he needed help navigating his Social Security Disability claim while managing several serious physical and mental health conditions.
Less than one year later, his claim was approved. He did not have to face another year or longer waiting for a disability hearing.
The approval awarded him just over $20,000 in past-due benefits and nearly $3,400 per month in ongoing Social Security Disability benefits. For our client and his family, this result provides meaningful financial relief, greater stability, and more freedom to focus on his health.
Serious Medical Conditions Affected His Ability to Work
Our client experiences chronic back pain following a prior surgery, pain radiating into his right arm, numbness and tingling, nerve damage, and radiculopathy affecting his legs.
He also lives with irritable bowel syndrome, depression, and anxiety. He takes several medications to help manage his daily pain, nerve symptoms, muscle spasms, and mental health conditions.
Together, these symptoms affected his daily life and his ability to work full-time, consistently, and reliably.
Medical records can document diagnoses, treatments, medications, and test results. However, they do not always fully explain how a person’s symptoms interfere with daily functioning and the ability to maintain a regular work schedule.
Helping Social Security understand those limitations was an important part of building his claim.
How Disability Law Group Helped Build the Claim
When someone is already managing serious health problems, the last thing they need is to feel buried under confusing Social Security paperwork.
Our team handled the functional reports, work history questions, EVL packet, third-party forms, application verification, and ongoing communication with the Disability Determination Services examiner.
We also obtained three medical source statements that were specially prepared for our client’s doctors to complete.
These statements allowed his providers to explain his conditions, symptoms, and work-related limitations in a way that helped Social Security understand the full impact of his health problems.
Why the Medical Source Statements Were Critical
Medical records tell an important story, but they do not always clearly show how pain, nerve damage, medication side effects, IBS, depression, anxiety, and other daily symptoms affect someone’s ability to work.
The medical source statements helped connect those dots.
They supported the information in our client’s treatment records by giving his doctors an opportunity to explain how his conditions limited his ability to function consistently in a work setting.
Instead of seeing only a list of diagnoses and medications, Social Security received a clearer picture of what our client was living with each day.
By developing this evidence early and maintaining communication with the examiner, our team helped present a complete and well-supported claim.
Approved in Less Than One Year
Social Security found our client disabled as of May 2025.
Receiving an approval in less than one year meant that he did not have to face the additional uncertainty and delay of waiting another year or longer for a hearing.
Most importantly, the approval validated what our client had been experiencing. His conditions were not simply uncomfortable or inconvenient. They affected his ability to maintain full-time work and support himself consistently.
The award of more than $20,000 in back pay and nearly $3,400 in monthly benefits will help provide financial stability for him and his family as he continues managing his health.
Future Medicare Eligibility
Our client will also become eligible for Medicare after the applicable waiting period.
People entitled to SSDI generally qualify for Medicare after a 24-month qualifying period based on disability benefit entitlement. Social Security counts one month for each month of disability benefit entitlement when determining when coverage begins.
The standard Medicare Part B premium is $202.90 per month in 2026, although some beneficiaries may pay a different amount based on income or qualify for assistance with Medicare-related expenses.
Our team made sure our client understood his rights, available resources, and options for reviewing Medicare coverage and possible help paying the premium.
More Than a Disability Benefits Approval
This result is about more than a back-pay award or a monthly benefit.
It is about taking part of the burden off someone who was already managing chronic pain, nerve symptoms, digestive issues, depression, and anxiety.
It is about building the evidence early, helping Social Security understand the complete impact of a person’s conditions, and avoiding unnecessary delays whenever possible.
Most importantly, it is about helping a client feel heard, protected, and validated.
We are grateful that this client trusted Disability Law Group with his claim. We are thrilled that he can now move forward with greater financial security, future access to Medicare, and the peace of mind he deserves.
If you need help applying for Social Security Disability benefits or your claim has been denied, Disability Law Group can help you understand your options. Call (888) 575-3010 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation.
At Disability Law Group, every client matters.
