‘Factually inaccurate’ disability denial over migraines remanded
A northern Indiana woman may find some relief after the Northern District Court reversed and remanded the denial of her appeal for supplemental security income.
Disability Benefits
Articles
7th Circuit reverses ruling for insurer over ‘blown deadlines’
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has vacated judgment for a plan administrator after concluding insurers will not receive deferential authority if they fail to meet regulatory deadlines under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974.
ALJ’s denial of disability finding for man remanded
A man who suffers from severe weekly seizures that leaves him confused and disoriented will have another chance to make his case for disability benefits after the Northern District Court found an administrative law judge’s denial warranted remand.
Mom loses SSDI appeal for extra benefits on behalf of son
A mother seeking additional disability benefits for her ailing son has failed to convince the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals that her child was entitled to benefits before he was 7 years old.
Legal aid initiative enables those with disabilities
Tangram, a nonprofit in Indianapolis that provides support for individuals with disabilities, joined forces in 2016 with Indiana Legal Services to launch the Providing Legal Assistance to Individuals with Disabilities initiative. PLAID assistance has since improved the lives of hundreds of clients statewide.
7th Circuit remands disability case on ALJ’s improper assessment
A decision denying a man’s application for disability and supplemental security income was remanded after the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals found an administrative law judge erroneously discredited him and improperly assessed his functional abilities.
7th Circuit remands disability case over ALJ’s errant hypotheticals
A rejection of a man’s application for disability and supplemental security income was remanded after the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals found an administrative law judge’s hypothetical question ignored one of the man’s most significant deficits.
Split COA: Maintenance not required in divorce of disabled spouse
A woman who receives Social Security Disability was not entitled to spousal maintenance, a divided panel of the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled, turning back a request on appeal to find that eligibility for SSD should constitute prima facie evidence of incapacity.
Judge: State’s ‘bureaucratic quagmire’ harms disabled woman
The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration has 21 days to arrange home health care for an elderly woman with quadriplegia who has been confined to a hospital or nursing home since February 2016, a federal judge has ruled. The decision comes after the judge ruled previously that the FSSA’s failure to develop a home-based care plan violated the woman’s rights under three federal laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act.
7th Circuit reinstates hairdresser’s disability benefits case
A woman denied Social Security disability benefits was granted a second chance after a panel of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals found her administrative law judge lacked substantial evidence to prove she wasn’t disabled.
7th Circuit affirms withheld attorney fees in disability cases
Attorneys who successfully represented two clients seeking Social Security disability benefits won’t get paid, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled, because their indigent clients owed debts to the federal treasury.
7th Circuit vacates denial of benefits to man with shooting pain and numbness
Finding an administrative law judge did not evaluate the credibility of a claimant and instead relied on the testimony of a physician who had not even examined the patient, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed and remanded the denial of Social Security benefits to an Indiana man.
7th Circuit: Disability benefit arguments lack merit
Medical evidence did not support the testimony of a deceased man about the degree of limitations he experienced, the 7th Circuit affirmed when reviewing his denied disability benefits case. The court found arguments in the case lacked merit.
7th Circuit slaps ALJ, remands engineer’s disability case after stroke
A district court’s decision affirming a Social Security administrative law judge’s ruling on the onset date of an engineer’s disability was vacated Wednesday by the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, which found medical and other evidence strongly suggests an earlier disability date.
ALJ’s omitted reason for disability decision troubles 7th Circuit
An administrative law judge’s failure to meet the minimum requirement of explaining her decision in a disability benefits case drew criticism from the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday.
Equal distribution method, lack of substantial evidence leads to remand of benefits case
A lack of substantial evidence led the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals to remand a social security case filed by a woman who was denied benefits despite being severely impaired by a brain tumor.
Judge awards $219K in housing discrimination lawsuit
The estate of a woman who was confined to a hospital bed and harassed by her landlord won a major victory last week in federal court that provided some rare Indiana case law on housing discrimination and, according to a fair housing advocate, will impact Hoosiers for years to come.
ALJ erred by ‘playing doctor’ in head trauma case, 7th Circuit rules
Judges must rely on expert opinions instead of determining the significance of particular medical findings themselves, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in a case where it found a judge “played doctor” to review limitations caused by a traumatic brain injury.
7th Circuit affirms denial of disability benefits
A man who was has been trying for more than 11 years to obtain Social Security disability benefits failed to convince a panel of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals that he was wrongly denied benefits.
Court rules for Amazon worker denied long-term disability
An insurance company’s denial of a long-term disability claim has been remanded by Jane Magnus-Stinson, chief judge for the U.S. District Court for Southern District of Indiana, who called the rejection “unreasonable.”