Can I Get Disability for Spinal Stenosis?

October 23, 2019 | Catastrophic Injuries

Motor vehicle accidents often cause painful injuries, such as neck and back pain. One of the most common types of back injuries is spinal stenosis, which is incurable. Spinal Stenosis can be caused by naturally occurring degenerative changes in the spine, but can also be the result of trauma from a car accident. If you have spinal stenosis after a car accident in Missouri, you could be entitled to disability benefits.

What is Spinal Stenosis?

Spinal Stenosis, if not caused by the degeneration of a person’s spine, due to genetics or arthritis, is the narrowing of the spinal canal, which can cause damage to the spinal cord or nerve endings along the back, or neck. The most common cause of non-degenerative spinal stenosis is a herniated disc or compressed neck or back nerves caused in an accident. There are two types of spinal stenosis, which are based on where the injury occurred along a person’s back:

  • Cervical Spinal Stenosis (CSS) – narrowing of the part of the spine that is in a person’s neck. CSS can cause coordination issues, chronic pain or numbness in the hand, arm, foot, or leg
  • Lumbar Spinal Stenosis (LSS) – the most common type of spinal stenosis, LSS is the narrowing of a person’s lumbar spine, which is the lower part of the back. LSS can cause a chronic loss of mobility, tingling or numbness of the legs, and severe back pain

Both types of spinal stenosis can be challenging to live with, but lumbar spinal stenosis, which can prevent a person from working, is considered more severe and is eligible to recover disability benefits for spinal stenosis in Missouri.

Missouri Spinal Stenosis Disability Benefits

Spinal stenosis is a debilitating injury that can affect many different areas of a person’s life. While cervical sprains are ineligible for disability, severe lumbar spinal stenosis can be eligible for disability. Lumbar spinal stenosis can make it impossible to perform any job, as it can cause severe pain or numbness while sitting and standing. If you suffered spinal cord injuries in a car accident that was another person’s fault, and now have lumbar spinal stenosis, you could be eligible to recover disability benefits.

Getting a disability claim accepted in Missouri can be difficult, but hiring a Missouri Personal Injury Lawyer to represent your case significantly increases the odds of recovering disability for spinal stenosis. An attorney can help you gather the evidence needed to prove your injuries, proof of your inability to work because of spinal stenosis, and defend your disability claim against Missouri’s government to recover the maximum amount of compensation for your chronic spinal cord injuries.

Typically, spinal stenosis disability claims in Missouri are assessed using the following factors:

  • How often you have been to the doctor for your back pain
  • Any treatments you have tried to mitigate the pain
  • Your treating doctor’s opinion of your medical outlook and ability limitations
  • How your pain affects your quality of life
  • Whether or not you appear to be exaggerating the pain
  • How others with similar physical conditions normally report their pain levels

Spinal stenosis, which is incurable, can require expensive surgeries to save some function of the lower spine, ongoing physical therapy, medications for pain management, and several other expenses. The average amount of disability benefits awarded for spinal stenosis claims varies between $500 to $1,000/month depending on the severity and total losses of a person’s condition. If a person has partial loss of feeling, they might receive less in disability than someone with complete loss of mobility or sensation.

Roughly 70% of disability claims are denied in Missouri. If your spinal stenosis disability claim was rejected, and you are struggling with damages associated with your injuries, hiring a Missouri Disability Benefits Lawyer to represent your case could increase the odds of having your disability claim approved.

Talk to Our St. Louis Spinal Stenosis Injury Lawyers

If you or someone you love has suffered spinal stenosis or another type of chronic back pain, and you need help filing a disability claim for spinal stenosis in Missouri, you need the Dixon Injury Firm by your side. The Dixon Injury Firm’s St. Louis Spinal Stenosis Injury Lawyers are the leading choice of Missouri residents and can build a strong disability claim for your case.

Christopher Dixon has recovered $35,000,000 in settlements and recoveries for a countless back injury, neck injury, and spinal injury claims in Missouri. If you choose Chris Dixon and the St. Louis Spinal Stenosis Disability Lawyers to represent your claim, you could recover total compensation for your ongoing harm and losses caused by your spinal injury.

For more information on filing a Missouri spinal stenosis disability claim with the Dixon Injury Firm (314) 208-2808 or connect with us now for a free case review.