Cleveland Tennessee Legal Blog

Winter roads are typically icy and snowy, and this can pose a problem for many drivers in Tennessee. Tires lose their traction on such roads, and cars are more apt to go out of control, but most accidents in winter are due to driver negligence. It will benefit drivers, then, to consider the following safety tips.

Slowing down is the first essential step because traction is lost the faster one goes. The second step is to avoid tailgating, rather leaving a space of at least five to six seconds between one's self and the vehicle in front. This is, in fact, a good distance to maintain in every season.

Tennessee residents who are applying for federal disability benefits are advised to keep track of the substantial gainful activity, or SGA, threshold. In 2019, those who are making more than $1,200 a month are not entitled to receive a monthly Social Security disability payment. The application will not be reviewed by an examiner, which means there is no chance that it will be approved.

However, if an individual's income drops below the SGA limit, he or she may be able to apply for benefits at that point. Those who are currently receiving a check from the government could have those payments suspended if their income rises above the SGA amount. Individuals may be entitled to a disability payment if they have a physical or mental impairment that makes it impossible to work. In some cases, applications may be approved because a person has multiple conditions that make it impossible to maintain gainful employment.

There is a chance that Tennessee residents will have their applications for disability benefits denied. In some cases, an application may be denied more than once. The steps a person takes after having a claim denied depends on where they are in the claim process. If an individual filed another initial application, he or she would want to appeal the decision. However, if an applicant had a first appeal denied, the case would then be appealed to a judge.

Medical evidence will play a large role in determining whether an application is approved at some point. Ideally, the evidence will establish the date at which an individual became permanently disabled. Applicants will also need to provide recent medical records to establish that they are truly incapable of working or earning a gainful living. To qualify as recent, medical information must be no more than 90 days old at the time an application for benefits is submitted.

Age and level of education can each play roles in the evaluation of Social Security Disability claims in Tennessee. Age may come into play when the person is 50 years old or older, and there is another important age point at 55. Level of education may be important to both the SSI disability and Social Security Disability programs. Generally speaking, the effect of education on the evaluation process is less than might be expected. There are many cases in which the person's level of education plays no role at all.

When cases are approved because the applicant has met the requirements in the Social Security disability list of impairments, also known as the blue book, that means the applicant has provided sufficient medical records to prove up their claim. This is true for meeting any specific listing, including bipolar disorder, lupus or degenerative disc disease. However, most of the cases that eventually receive approval do not involve a listing that has been met.