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Disability Lawyers in Augusta Discuss Testimony Concerning Sitting

If difficulty in sitting is a factor in your case, your disability lawyers in Augusta will need to know. This article discusses how such an issue might be approached in a hearing.

Sitting

While many people must shift position after sitting in a chair for some time, it does not necessarily affect the ability to carry on at work. Your disability lawyers in Augusta will remind you that it’s perfectly possible to shift position and continue to work, so greater detail will be required for sitting to be cited as an issue.

Questioning

You will almost certainly be questioned at your hearing concerning how long you can sit down either at home or at work. Disability attorneys in Augusta may consider the following an acceptable reply.

Q. How long can you remain in a seated position?
A. “As I explained to my disability attorneys in Augusta, I can stay seated for about an hour but only if I make myself do it. I need to lie down after that, and I can’t do much of anything for the remainder of the day. Twenty minutes is about all I can manage without standing or walking for a quarter-hour or so before getting back into the chair to pay bills or get something done at home.

The other point I made to my disability lawyers in Augusta is that sitting takes a terrible toll on my back. If I worked at a job that required me to spend part of the day at a desk, part of it walking and part of it standing, I’d find myself only able to sit for shorter and shorter periods as the day progressed. At home I can use a recliner and be fairly comfortable for a good long time, but paying bills and things like that are difficult in that chair. For that, I have to sit at the dinner table.”

Other Things to Consider

You can help your disability attorneys in Augusta by outlining how you recover after you have had to remain seated for an extended period. Perhaps you recover by standing up and stretching, or perhaps you need to walk around for a bit before you can sit down again. If you trade off sitting, standing and then sitting again, does that help you? Could you maintain this process if you were required to be at a desk or workstation in a full-time job? Does it help you to walk for a time? How often might you need to do this, and for how long?

Breaks on the Job

Your disability lawyers in Augusta will probably need to ask you about scheduled breaks, which are normal on most jobs. You will need to outline what you need to do in order to recover after sitting for any length of time, and how you might use these breaks to achieve that. Can you make do with the scheduled breaks or do you need more? Must you lie down in a break room (if possible) or is sitting for a few moments enough? Does walking help? Do you recover more quickly if you have a reclining chair? How much time should such a break require?

Totals during the Day

It is probable that you will need to give the judge or your disability lawyers in Augusta an account of how much time out of a normal work day you are able to remain seated at a desk or workstation. Whether the sitting is sustained or in increments, the total number of minutes spent in that position is what the judge is looking for, and you may be asked to provide a similar estimate concerning how long you can remain standing. This is something to which you should devote careful thought so that you can answer the question accurately when it comes.

Be Prepared

Disability lawyers in Augusta are available to help you prepare for situations like the above. Find the help you need by calling us today.