Jarvis & Modun, LLP

Jessica, I'm sorry that we were not able to help you. Although age is a significant factor in a disability claim, we never turn away a potential client merely because of their age. If we do not take a case, it is usually because we cannot get a supporting medical opinion from a treating physician. The important factors in a successful disability claim are age, the medical evidence, and the judge you draw, with medical evidence being the most important. Medical evidence includes regular treatment for the conditions which are disabling and supporting opinions from the doctors who treat you. The supporting opinions need to be more than the doctor saying, "this patient is disabled." The opinions must give specific limitations and reasons why you cannot work. For someone under 50 years old, the opinions must show that the person meets or equals a "medical listing" or cannot do any sort of full-time work. These can be challenging hurdles to overcome. On the bright side, even if we cannot develop supporting medical evidence initially, we are always willing to take a second look at a case if the medical picture changes. For example, if your doctor would not give us an opinion initially but later changes her mind, we are always happy to take a look at what your doctor says and see if it would help your case.