Filing for short or long-term disability benefits is not always easy. This is more especially when you are battling a serious medical condition in your vestibular system. Such a condition affects the inner part of your ear that helps you maintain balance. Proving that you have a condition like that, and how it is affecting your daily life, can be challenging. However, vestibular testing may help. It can also support your disability claim, improving your chances of getting the benefits you deserve. However, it is helpful to engage a skilled disability benefits lawyer to successfully navigate the entire process.
Understanding What Vestibular Testing is All About
The vestibular system is a sensory system located in your inner ear and is responsible for your posture, balance, and partial orientation. When it is affected, it can be difficult to determine the exact problem. However, you experience symptoms, like balance issues, dizziness, vision impairments, and head trauma. Even without knowing the cause, these are serious symptoms that can affect your daily life, especially in a working environment. That is why vestibular testing is critical in supporting your claim for short or long-term disability benefits.
The testing includes several procedures designed to assess the functionality and overall health of the vestibular system. The tests evaluate the functionality of the vestibular system to explain the genesis of some of the symptoms you have been experiencing. These tests are generally many, each focusing on a different aspect of the entire system. Once the results are out, a medical professional can assess the extent or severity of the issue and how long it will take you to recover or significantly improve.
One common example of these tests is videonystagmography (VNG). In this test, you will be required to wear goggles so that a medical professional can track how your eyes move in reaction to specific stimuli. The test evaluates the relationship between vestibular system issues and your eye movements. They can help a medical professional identify any abnormalities that could point to a disorder in your inner ear.
There is also the Rotary Chair, which involves having the patient sit in a computerised chair. The chair gently rocks forward and back as the test administrator monitors your eye movements. This test is used to differentiate dizziness caused by a disorder of the vestibular system from dizziness due to other causes.
You may also need a Posturography, another vestibular test that measures your ability to maintain balance while standing under various situations. Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potential, or VEMP, is also a common test used to stimulate your muscles and your ears' responses to determine the functionality of distinct pathways in your vestibular system. Other tests include a Caloric Test, which stimulates your ears with cold and warm water or air to determine how differently each ear responds. This helps in determining specific unilateral weaknesses in your vestibular system.
Vestibular tests are generally non-invasive, which makes them favorable for all people. Additionally, they provide critical data useful for diagnosing the cause of your symptoms, specifically vestibular disorders. The tests also determine the severity of the disorders, guiding medical professionals in developing effective treatment plans. Vestibular tests also provide irrefutable evidence that you have serious symptoms that interfere with your daily functioning. Thus, the test results can support your claim for long-term or short-term disability benefits.
Conditions or Symptoms that Would Warrant Vestibular Testing
Before applying for disability benefits, you must get all your paperwork ready. This includes all medical records regarding the medical condition that is affecting your capacity to work. Your symptoms will guide you and your medical professional in determining which tests and treatments you should pursue. If you have these symptoms, your medical professional or skilled disability benefits attorney may suggest vestibular testing:
Vertigo and Dizziness
Vertigo is a false sensation that you and your environment are moving, tilting, or spinning. It is a very common feeling when you have a vestibular disorder. In most cases, it is accompanied by dizziness. If you have been experiencing one or both of these symptoms, a vestibular test can determine whether they are caused by a vestibular condition or another medical issue.
Balance Issues
If you have been experiencing balance problems, especially to the point where you fall or feel unstable when walking or standing, the cause and extent can be determined through vestibular testing.
Vomiting and Nausea
A problem with the vestibular system can also manifest in persistent vomiting and nausea, especially when your body is in motion. Remember that the vestibular system is responsible for your spatial orientation and sense of equilibrium. A disorder in the system can make you feel sick most of the time.
Hearing loss
A vestibular disorder can also cause a sudden loss of your hearing ability. You can have a vestibular test if you cannot explain the sudden change in your hearing. An effective test can diagnose serious diseases like Meniere's, which causes hearing fluctuations or loss.
Vision Impairment
You may experience vision issues, like difficulties tracking objects or focusing, when you have a vestibular disorder. Some of the vision issues you experience due to a vestibular disorder require you to move your head to see clearly. Testing can determine the exact disorder and its extent for proper treatment recommendations.
Tinnitus
This happens when you experience a buzzing or ringing sound in your ears. When balance issues accompany this, vestibular testing is necessary.
Migraines
If you experience migraines that sometimes include vertigo, vestibular testing can help determine whether your migraines are connected to vestibular symptoms.
Head Trauma
If you have sustained a head trauma and experience one or more of these symptoms, the injury could have affected your vestibular system. Testing can determine the type and extent of the damage to your system and its various pathways.
Having one or more of these symptoms does not automatically mean that there is an issue with your vestibular system. However, vestibular testing can rule out other causes of your symptoms and help your medical team develop an effective treatment. Note that these are serious symptoms that can significantly affect your capacity to work effectively, requiring you to take a short or long break from work to recover. Testing could also help as you document your medical condition in preparation for filing for disability benefits.
How Vestibular Testing Can Help With Your Disability Claim
A vestibular condition is difficult to diagnose without proper testing. If you want to file a successful claim for long or short-term disability benefits, you must prove the nature and cause of your symptoms. Testing gives you the evidence that you have a vestibular disorder. It also helps your medical team figure out the nature and extent of the condition, so you will know whether to file for long-term or short-term benefits.
Here are some of the reasons why this testing is critical:
For Objective Evidence
The strength of your disability claim is mainly determined by the evidence you provide regarding your illness or the reason you are unable to engage in gainful work. Vestibular testing provides concrete information that can explain the presence of a significant problem that is causing you serious symptoms that are affecting how you work or function every day. Some tests, such as the rotary chair test, electronystagmography, or videonystagmography, can show the presence and extent of an inner ear disorder. This will substantiate your claim.
To Verify Your Symptoms
Remember that most symptoms you experience due to vestibular disorders can also be caused by other medical conditions. Examples include nausea, dizziness, vertigo, and balance problems. Since these symptoms are subjective, it can be difficult to tell their exact cause without proper testing. Vestibular testing confirms your symptoms and explains their cause. This not only supports your claim but also helps develop an effective treatment plan for you.
To Explain Functional Limitations
Understanding the cause of your symptoms also helps you see how limiting the condition can be, especially when it comes to work. Some symptoms start mildly and progress over time. Early testing helps you identify the exact problems and plan for any additional issues that may arise over time. For example, if you work in an environment that requires accurate motor control, head movement, or stability, knowing you have a vestibular condition can help you prepare for challenges that are likely to arise as the condition worsens.
To Support a Complex Case
You are not always guaranteed to receive disability benefits when you apply for them. Insurance companies approve and deny some claims based on the strength of the evidence provided. If your case is complex, and you are trying to explain why you need time off work to recover, vestibular testing could help. Remember that stating the symptoms you have and how they are affecting your work is not enough to convince your insurer to pay your disability benefits. Testing will prove that you have a serious condition that is responsible for your symptoms, and that the symptoms are debilitating and could worsen over time.
To Prove Progression of Your Medical Condition
If you are filing for long-term benefits, you need to continually prove that your symptoms are worsening or are still serious. This is the only way you can continue receiving payment as you recover from your condition. In that case, you need continuous vestibular symptoms to prove how far your condition has progressed over time. It helps prove that you are still eligible for benefits, even after receiving them for a few months.
What To Do If Your Claim Is Denied Even After Vestibular Testing
Insurance companies do not always approve disability claims. They approve some and deny the others, depending on the nature of the case and the evidence provided. Thus, your claim can be denied, even after providing vestibular test results to prove your condition and symptoms. If this happens, you do not give up. With the assistance of a skilled disability benefits attorney, you can do the following:
Review Your Denial Letter
The first thing you want to do is to determine the exact cause of the denial. Fortunately, the insurance company will provide the reason after denying your claim. Together with your attorney, go through the denial letter carefully to understand the company’s decision to reject the claim. The letter will provide details of the insurance company’s findings and policy terms that form the basis for the denial. These will help you plan your appeal.
Take Note of the Deadlines
In most cases, there are deadlines to file appeals after a denied disability benefits claim. The timelines are usually very strict. This means that you have to start preparing immediately to file your appeal within the provided deadlines. If you miss the deadline, you will permanently lose your chance to appeal the denied claim.
Gather More Evidence
In addition to working on the reasons provided for the denied claim, you need more evidence to strengthen the appeal. In this case, you need more medical evidence to prove how a vestibular condition can affect your working ability. If you did not have a medical expert’s testimony, this could be the time to find an expert who is willing to testify on your behalf. Your attorney can also find research evidence to back your claim and increase your chances of approval.
Find a Competent Disability Benefits Attorney Near Me
If you have a vestibular condition that has affected your capacity to work in California, vestibular testing is a great idea. It proves your condition, explains your symptoms, and provides a solid base for your disability claim. A skilled disability benefits attorney can explain why you need this testing, the exact tests you should take, and how to present your results in your claim for a successful application.
We can do this and more at Leland Law. Our experienced attorneys understand all the complex processes involved in filing for disability benefits in California. We can guide you through these processes, defend your rights, and support you until you are satisfied with the outcome. Call us at 866-449-6476 to learn more about us.
