Epilepsy Disability Insurance Benefits Claim
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Disability insurance carriers often claim that epilepsy is not disabling. How Can Disability Insurance Attorneys Dell & Schaefer Assist You?
The unpredictability of seizures makes it difficult for a person with epilepsy to work in any occupation with reasonable continuity. Often carriers will argue that a claimant has not had a seizure in 30 days therefore they should be able to return to work. As disability attorneys, Dell & Schaefer have represented numerous long term disability claimants that have been unable to work as a result of epilepsy.
Disability Attorneys Dell & Schaefer have an expansive understanding of the significant restrictions and limitations that a person suffering with epilepsy must live with on a daily basis. We have worked closely with top physicians in order to sufficiently satisfy a disability carrier’s threshold of evidence necessary to prove that a client is disabled by epilepsy.
Not everyone suffering from epilepsy qualifies for long-term disability benefits, therefore the medical records of each client must be reviewed to determine the level of restrictions.
We welcome the opportunity to discuss your long-term disability claim.
You can contact us for a free initial consultation.
What is epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a disorder that results from the generation of electrical signals inside the brain, causing recurring seizures. Around 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy. More than 3 million of these people live in the US. This means that about 1 in every 100 people in the US has experienced an unprovoked seizure or been diagnosed with epilepsy. However, a solitary seizure doesn’t mean you have epilepsy. At least two unprovoked seizures are required for an epilepsy diagnosis.
For those that have epilepsy, even mild seizures may require treatment, because they can be dangerous during activities like driving or swimming. Treatment, which generally includes medications and sometimes surgery, normally eliminates or reduces the frequency and intensity of seizures.
Causes of epilepsy
Epilepsy has no identifiable cause in about half of those who have the condition. In the other half, the condition may be traced to various factors.
Some types of epilepsy, which are categorized by your type of seizure, run in families, making it likely that there’s a genetic influence. For some people, genes are only part of the cause, perhaps by making a person more susceptible to environmental conditions that trigger seizures.
Head trauma sustained in a traumatic injury, such as an automobile accident, can also cause epilepsy. Events like strokes or heart attacks that result in damage to the brain also can cause epilepsy. Dementia and stroke are leading causes of epilepsy among older adults. Diseases like meningitis, AIDS and viral encephalitis can cause epilepsy as well. Epilepsy can also be associated with other developmental disorders, such as autism and Down syndrome.
How the symptoms of epilepsy can affect you
Because epilepsy is caused by abnormal activity in brain cells, seizures can affect any process your brain coordinates. A seizure can produce temporary confusion, staring spells, uncontrollable jerking movements of the arms and legs and a complete loss of consciousness.
The symptoms of epilepsy vary depending on the type of seizure the person suffers. In most cases, a person with epilepsy will tend to have the same type of seizure each time, so the symptoms will be similar from episode to episode.
Doctors classify seizures as either partial or generalized, based on how the abnormal brain activity begins. In some cases, seizures can begin as partial and then become generalized.
When seizures appear to result from abnormal activity in just one part of the brain, they’re called partial or focal seizures. These seizures fall into two categories simple partial seizures and complex partial seizures.
- Simple partial seizures do not result in loss of consciousness. They may alter emotions or change the way things look, smell, feel, taste or sound. They may also result in involuntary jerking of part of the body, such as an arm or leg, and spontaneous sensory symptoms such as tingling, vertigo and flashing lights.
- Complex partial seizures alter consciousness, causing you to lose awareness for a period of time. Complex partial seizures often result in staring and non-purposeful movements, such as hand rubbing, twitching, chewing, swallowing or walking in circles. Seizures that seem to involve all of the brain are called generalized seizures. Four types of generalized seizures exist.
- Absence seizures, also called petit mal, are characterized by staring and subtle body movement, and can cause a brief loss of consciousness.
- Myoclonic seizures usually appear as sudden jerks or twitches of your arms and legs.
- Atonic seizures, also referred to as drop attacks, cause you to lose normal muscle tone and suddenly collapse or fall down.
- Tonic-clonic seizures, also known as grand mal, are the most intense of all types of seizures, these are characterized by a loss of consciousness, body stiffening and shaking, and loss of bladder control.
Resources
There are many valuable sources of epilepsy information available.
You can also access resources over the internet such as:
Epilepsy.com
National institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
There are numerous charities dedicated to epilepsy research, detection and treatment including:
Epilepsy Foundation
Citizens United For Research For Epilepsy
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