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Veteran Receives Favorable Decision Awarding Him Social Security Disability Benefits

Posted: September 15, 2010

After nearly three years, 33-year-old Iraq War veteran and Buffalo resident, Ramon Suarez, Jr., received a favorable decision on his Social Security Disability claim with the help of attorney Paul M. Pochepan. When the Social Security Administration denied Mr. Suarez’s initial claim in May 2008, he contacted Jeffrey Freedman Attorneys. Citing the claimant’s age and the nature of his disability, Mr. Pochepan recognized the challenges involved in the case and chose to go ahead with the appeal that summer.

“He’s had his share of hardship,” Mr. Pochepan explained.

Already seeking treatment for PTSD and depression brought on by combat experiences in Iraq from 2002-2004, Mr. Suarez sustained painful injuries from an automobile accident in May 2007. The accident resulted in cervical spine disc herniations causing spinal cord impingement, lumbar spine disc herniation, and a diagnosis of myofacial pain syndrome, a chronic form of muscle pain. Mr. Pochepan observed that the automobile accident “triggered a lot of emotional problems based on some of the things he was exposed to in Iraq.” In the months after the accident, Mr. Suarez battled panic attacks and nightmares from his years in the military and decided to apply for SSD benefits in November 2007.

“I had nowhere to go,” he reflected. “There was nothing else I could do.”

The combination of Mr. Suarez’s physical and mental impairments proved sufficient grounds for awarding benefits. The adjudicator stated that the claimant could not sustain a job full time, and the hearing in March 2010 resulted in a fully favorable decision. Mr. Suarez, his wife, and two children are now also beneficiaries of his successful SSD claim.

Every favorable decision from the SSA comes with the possibility of a periodic review of the claim, which may not occur for years.

“There is a higher likelihood the SSA will review his claim,” Mr. Pochepan stated. “They have a tendency to check up on younger people to see if there has been any medical improvement.”

For the moment, however, Mr. Suarez looks forward to a brighter future. “Winning my case felt like a big weight was off my chest. Now, I’m just trying to catch up on bills and stay out of debt.”

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