Tips for Describing Pain to Judges and Disability Lawyers in Augusta GA

If you’re working with an Augusta Social Security disability attorney, be prepared to explain the nature and extent of your physical symptoms in a hearing. This is especially important if your limitations come and go. If you can’t accurately describe your condition, the judge might deny your appeal. Judges look for a few things during appeals, so make an effort to accurately describe the following details about your condition.

Frequency

How often do your symptoms affect your daily activity? Is your condition disabling every day or just once a week?

Duration

How long do your symptoms last? Does a flair-up last for a day, a week or a month?

Intensity

On a scale from one to 10, how bad is the pain you experience?

Avoiding Vague Descriptions

It’s easy to say things like “sometimes the pain is so bad that I can’t walk or get out of bed.” However, a judge might think that you’re usually fine. Avoid words like every now and then, occasionally, sometimes and once in a while because they are vague and open to interpretation. Our disability lawyers in Augusta GA will tell you to use words like often, frequently, usually and every day instead. Be specific. Use numbers to describe how often you are disabled in the average week, month or year. If you have symptom-free days, let the judge know how often this occurs in the average month or year. Detailed information helps the judge understand your condition and make an accurate determination about whether your symptoms prevent you from working.

Intensity and Severity

Unless you say otherwise, the judge may assume that your symptoms are mild the majority of the time. Tell the judge how you feel on a good day and what it’s like to get through a bad day. Describe your symptoms on a scale of one to 10. This lets the judge quantify your condition. On the universal pain assessment, number one is no pain, and number 10 is the worst pain possible. Understand the pain scale, and use it accurately. Do not exaggerate. If you say that your pain is always 10, the judge will wonder how you were able to attend the hearing. Moderate pain includes numbers four through seven. Anything above eight is severe. You can also accompany the number with a description of how you were feeling, such as I curled up in a ball. I couldn’t move for the whole day. I couldn’t leave the house for a week, or I had to go to the emergency room.

Contact an Augusta Social Security Disability Attorney

If you want to present your case effectively, it’s important to prepare for your hearing. To complete a free consultation with disability lawyers in Augusta GA, call us today.