Voigt v. Colvin, a case from the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, involves claimant who applied for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, only to have the Social Security Administration (SSA) denied his application.
Claimant was 40 years old at the time he applied for SSDI benefits. Claimant was employed as a trained machinist until 2002. It was then that he applied for total disability. His claimed disability was primarily related to mental illness, including severe depression and bipolar disorder, as well as chronic back pain, hip trouble, and an anal fissure.
When he first applied for benefits, SSA denied his application. After a series of appeals, he was able to have a hearing before an administrative law judge (ALJ). ALJ determined claimant was capable of working at lower paying unskilled jobs, so he was therefore not disabled within SSA guidelines. Claimant tried to take PAXIL to help with his mental health issues from 2001 to 2008, but he stopped taking the drug, because he was having a problem with adverse side effects.
SOURCE: Massachusetts Social Security Disability Lawyers Blog – Read entire story here.
