I am often asked whether seeing a specialist will help in a Social Security disability case.
Do I need to see a specialist? I have my own doctor. What else can a specialist tell me about my case? How can they help?
I have seen numerous cases where Social Security has downplayed the opinion of a treating physician because the doctor is not a specialist!
I have even seen some cases where the Judge rejected the primary care provider’s opinion at hearing because he thought the doctor was just “saying what the patient wanted the doctor to say.”
A lot of these problems can be eliminated with a specialist’s evaluation and medical opinion.
Specialists’ opinions are often given extra weight and treated with deference by Social Security.
Social Security often views specialists as better trained, more experienced, and more objective. Specifically, Social Security is less likely think that a specialist is being supportive of a case only because they want to be “nice” to the patient.
A specialist’s records can do the following to help your case:
- A specialist can onfirm a diagnosis.
- A specialist can evaluate severity of your symptoms.
- A specialist can provide an opinion of the limitations caused by the condition.
Who wouldn’t want that?
