What kind of evidence is used in evaluating my Social Security disability claim?

A: For a Social Security disability case, medical evidence takes many forms, including physician treatment notes, mental health records, bloodwork panels, and reports of imaging studies (e.g., MRI, CAT scan, and X-ray). The records that carry the most weight, however, are those from a personal doctor or treating physician because a treating physician will generally know your medical condition better than any other source. Consequently, statements from a treating physician can be very helpful to a Social Security disability or SSI claim and are considered by SSA to be authoritative in nature.

To provide assistance on an SSDI or SSI benefit case, a doctor's evidence statement should:

1. Be detailed regarding your symptoms, restriction in range of motion, muscular strength, and the ability to sit, stand, walk, crouch, bend, and reach.

2. Specify the medical reasons you are unable to work. The doctor should indicate the diagnosis, the prognosis, and the functional restrictions that result from your impairment(s)-- i.e., why you are unable to return to work.