Can You Get Social Security Disability Benefits after a Stroke?

Are you here to find out if you can get social security disability benefits after a stroke? If so - keep reading! (3 Minute Read)

I think we have all heard of a “stroke.” It is one of the earliest conditions we all learn that is dangerous to the elderly, right? Doctors call “strokes” Cerebellar Vascular Accidents or Cerebrovascular Disease. Those are fancy medical terms for problems with the blood supply to the brain, and the most frightening thing about “CVA’s” is that they occur to anyone, without warning, and at any age. A stroke occurs when an artery or vein bringing blood to the brain either tears, causing a blood to leak out (or hemorrhage), OR if a blood vessel develops a clot which stops blood flow to the brain. 

In either case, this is serious medical trauma to the most important organ of the body. In a hemorrhagic stroke, not only does blood not arrive where it is supposed to, but the leaking of blood injures other brain tissue as the cranium swells due to the injury. So the brain cells that need the blood are damaged when it doesn’t arrive, and the brain cells that are just minding their own business are suddenly swamped with blood that is not supposed be there (and is not being taken away in the normal course of events). In a clotting stroke, the brain cells affected die from a lack of oxygen and nutrients.

CVA’s, until COVID came along, annually ranked in the top 4 causes of death in America. But, most strokes are not fatal, especially with today’s medical technology, where doctors can quickly identify the type of CVA and administer drugs to counter act the hemorrhage or clot. Nonetheless, a stroke does quick, sometimes permanent and other times temporary damage to the brain. Many people recover fully; many others do not.

That’s where Keller & Keller comes in. We have negotiated the Disability system for hundreds of stroke victims. The variability of the recovery rate can be a tricky to understand and navigate for yourself. Having done these cases, there are not too many surprises for us.

Planning to File a Claim?

If you plan on filing a disability claim due to the after effects of a stroke, it is vital that you:

1. See a neurologist and continue to do so
2. Complete any physical or occupational therapy that might be prescribed for you
3. After the initial improvements, continue to see a doctor to maintain a relationship where the doctor will feel comfortable making an official opinion about what your remaining capacity is

The first case I ever had in the Disability system was a young man (in his 30’s) who suffered a CVA. Since I worked for Social Security, all we were concerned with was waiting until the stroke was 90 days in the past, so that we could deny him. As an attorney now, I would be able to handle that case differently, and, document the even lesser changes that would effect a person’s ability to return to work.

If this terrible disease has afflicted someone you love, then call the social security attorneys here at Keller & Keller and let us help you walk this road.

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