33% of Social Security Disability Claims are Based on Mental Disorders; 27.7% are Musculoskeletal

The law firm Lane Powell, a Pacific northwest firm with an employer-side ERISA practice, has a great post here about the recent report from the Social Security Administration breaking down types of Social Security disability claims by type of claim and region.  It also has a good discussion of the significance of social security determinations in long-term disability benefit denials and appeals.  I've discussed this issue as well in a prior post. 

It is significant that the combined mental disorder/musculoskeletal conditions amount to 50% of social security disability income claims.  These conditions present some of the more difficult issues in winning an initial long-term disability claim or disability appeal because the insurers claim objective medical evidence doesn't exist to support the claims.  For these claims, it is important to work closely with your doctors to make sure the medical records reflect that all the standard diagnostic criteria are present, and the records contain a discussion of how the condition affects your ability to do your job.  As a Connecticut LTD lawyer, I know how important it is to work with the claimant's doctor to establish the impairment, and the effect of the impairment on the claimant's ability to work.