Objective medical evidence in a disability claim includes measurable and tangible data documenting your medical condition. Outside parties can independently verify and quantify this data to establish the extent of your condition.
Many forms of data and documentation can serve as objective medical evidence, including the results of medical tests like MRIs and x-rays. You can learn more about this form of evidence with a Baton Rouge long-term disability lawyer.
What’s Objective Medical Evidence for Disability Claims?
Objective medical evidence is any tangible data that documents the extent of your disability. This form of evidence provides proof about the existence of your disability and can prove the severity of your condition.
For a free legal consultation, call (225) 201-8311
Examples of Objective Medical Evidence
Objective medical evidence comes in many different forms. Some common examples of this type of evidence can include:
Medical Observations From Your Doctor
Your doctor may provide clinical findings that serve as objective evidence. These findings could include information about:
- Abnormalities with your vital signs
- Deficits in your motor and sensory perceptions
- Limitations to your range of motion
Doctors can include any measurable information about your disability in these observations.
Results of Imaging Studies
Doctors can use many different imaging studies to provide detailed information about the internal structures of your body, potentially showing injuries and abnormalities. Your attorney may use the results of:
- X-rays
- Ultrasounds
- MRIs
- CT scans
You can talk to your medical provider and lawyer about the tests that could help establish your diagnosis.
Results of Laboratory Studies
Sometimes, doctors will analyze your urine, tissue samples, or blood to identify medical conditions or check the progression of a disease. The results of these studies can serve as objective medical evidence.
Results of Electrodiagnostic Studies
Doctors may order special studies for the diagnosis of neuromuscular and neurological disorders, including peripheral neuropathy. In these situations, doctors may use the results of nerve conduction studies (NCS) and electromyography (EMG) as objective evidence of a condition.
Neuropsychological Tests
A doctor may use neuropsychological testing to assess issues with cognitive impairment. These tests are often useful when diagnosing conditions like Alzheimer’s disease or the severity of traumatic brain injuries (TBI). The tests focus on changes to an individual’s attention, memory, and other cognitive functions.
Functional Capacity Evaluations
In some cases, you may need to visit an occupational or physical therapist to go through a functional capacity evaluation. These evaluations can assess your ability to perform certain work-related tasks, providing information about your functional abilities.
Headache Diaries
In some cases, insurance representatives will accept a headache diary (or a diary of other symptoms) as objective evidence. Your attorney can provide more information about this form of evidence and whether it could work for your claim.
An attorney can review your situation to provide more information about the specific evidence that could help to support your Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) disability claim. A lawyer can also give you more information about the objective information medical definition.
Why Does Objective Medical Evidence Matter?
Lawyers, insurance representatives, and the agencies in charge of providing disability benefits can independently review and verify objective medical evidence, making it the cornerstone for most disability claims.
While subjective symptoms can give you an idea about the severity of your disability, things like your fatigue, pain, and other symptoms are often not verifiable. Therefore, your attorney needs to collect objective data to strengthen your claim.
You can learn more about what objective medical evidence is in a disability claim and how it works with a professional lawyer.
Click to contact our insurance claim lawyers today
How Does a Lawyer Get Objective Medical Evidence?
Your attorney may need to work with medical professionals to secure objective evidence about your health conditions. You must attend all appointments and work with your doctor to get a diagnosis to generate objective proof of your disability.
Doctors need to provide thorough documentation regarding your condition. Ideally, this evidence should do more than simply prove that you have a disabling condition. The evidence should also show how the condition impacts your day-to-day life and that it prevents you from working.
Complete a Free Case Evaluation form now
What Happens if You Don’t Have Objective Medical Evidence?
If you do not have objective medical evidence to support your claim, it could result in an ERISA benefits denial. Insurance representatives may argue that you do not have enough proof to establish the severity of your disability.
You should contact an attorney for help gathering evidence before you submit your benefits application. An attorney can review your situation and work with medical professionals to determine what types of evidence can support your claim.
Talk to Us About Objective Medical Evidence for Your Claim
So, what is objective medical evidence in disability claims? This evidence can include any tangible and measurable data that demonstrates the severity of your disability. The results of medical tests and reports from doctors often serve as objective evidence.
Our team J. Price McNamara can provide more information about this type of evidence as we get to work handling your claim. We have over three decades of experience assisting with short- and long-term disability claims.
Find out more about our services by contacting us for help right now.
Call or text (225) 201-8311 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
