Do not apply for Social Security Disability when you are in the middle of a Mississippi Worker’s compensation case
In 20 years of practicing injury law in Mississippi, I have seen thousands of workers’ compensation cases come through our doors here at Chhabra & Gibbs, P.A. There is a common theme to these cases: whether you are from Jackson, Gulfport, Meridian, Port Gibson, Grenada, Tupelo, the delta or the gulf coast, when you get hurt on the job in Mississippi you are going to suffer financially. Unfortunately, our political climate is often driven by money from big corporations which causes the laws to favor them and not the people getting hurt working for them.
If your injury is bad enough, you can’t work. It is next to impossible to pay your bills on that small workers compensation check, and that assumes it is even coming. People lose their house, their cars, and sometimes even their spouse when they go through the hardship of a Mississippi Workers’ Compensation case.
So what can you do? Hire a good lawyer for starters. But let’s be honest. Even the best lawyers cannot solve every problem. A good lawyers should give you a plan from the very beginning. If benefits are being improperly withheld, a good lawyer will pursue them aggressively. But even with the best Mississippi Workers’ Compensation lawyer, the law only goes so far in keeping you from going broke.
So what happens? People get desperate. They look to any source they can. One of those sources is to apply for Social Security Disability. This is a bad idea while you are in an ongoing workers’ compensation case, because federal regulations come into play that can dramatically slow your case down. In some cases, it will prevent your workers’ compensation case from being settled.
It is rare, if ever, that anyone gets Social Security Disability quickly. In most cases, it takes a year or more. It does not make any sense to slow down your Mississippi workers’ comp case just so you can get on the Social Security Disability delay train.
If you have been injured on the job in Mississippi and are financially desperate and struggling. Talk to an experienced lawyer in this field and see what your options are. It is always free to call Chhabra & Gibbs, P.A. at 601-948-8005. We will review the facts, give you some free pointers, and if we think we can help, we will consult for free and let you know up front what that will look like before you have to sign anything.
