Social Security Disability Blog Page 4 of 13

Reasons Social Security Disability Benefits Stop Being Paid

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on July 17, 2019 in Social Security Disability

People with certain disabilities will receive Social Security Disability benefits for the rest of their lives, particularly those with a disability that will result in their death. However, everyone’s situation is different, and benefits could stop for a variety of reasons. Below, learn more about why benefits could stop, including what you should know about […]

Can Early Retirement Affect Receiving Social Security Disability Benefits?

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on April 15, 2019 in Social Security Disability

If you are a worker in your 60s and are unable to keep working due to health issues, you may be considering early retirement and filing for Social Security retirement benefits. Is this the best way to go, or should you file for disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA) instead? The Harrisburg Social […]

Social Security Disability Payment Schedule for 2018

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on February 06, 2018 in Social Security Disability

Many Social Security Disability recipients have no other form of income than these benefits. Therefore, it is important that they know when to expect their benefit check. The Social Security Administration (SSA) maintains a schedule for when it pays benefits. The Harrisburg Social Security Disability attorneys at Schmidt Kramer explain the payment schedule for disability […]

Disability Benefits for Glaucoma

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on December 27, 2017 in Social Security Disability

Glaucoma is a progressive disease of the eyes that gradually causes vision loss. The disease is one of the leading causes of blindness. In some cases, it is possible for a claimant to be approved for Social Security Disability benefits if he or she has glaucoma. If you have glaucoma, the Harrisburg Social Security Disability […]

How Am I Evaluated for SSD Benefits?

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on November 02, 2017 in Social Security Disability

In order to receive Social Security Disability benefits, you must be able to establish that you have a medical impairment that prevents you from working. The Social Security Administration (SSA) conducts a thorough review of your medical history and may request that you undergo additional testing to determine if you meet the requirements for obtaining […]

How do I Check the Status of my Social Security Disability Claim?

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on October 17, 2017 in Social Security Disability

Waiting to learn the status of your disability claim can be stressful. Fortunately, there are a number of ways you can check on the status of your claim, depending on the stage your claim is in. Below, the Harrisburg Social Security Disability attorneys of Schmidt Kramer explain the different ways to stay updated about the […]

Differences Between SSI and Social Security Disability Income

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on July 28, 2017 in Social Security Disability

Do you have a disability so severe that it prevents you from working to support yourself? You may qualify for government benefits through the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program or the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. The many differences between these two programs are explained below, including how eligibility is determined and the benefits […]

Work Credits and Disability Benefits

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on March 10, 2017 in Social Security Disability

One of the several qualifications the Social Security Administration (SSA) uses to decide if an applicant can receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is the number of work credits he or she has. Work credits are a conversion of the amount an applicant has worked throughout his or her life and determine if he or […]

Can I Receive Social Security Benefits After A Crash?

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on December 07, 2015 in Social Security Disability

If you have suffered injuries as a result of an auto accident, you may be entitled to receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). SSDI is a federally funded program offered by the Social Security Administration that provides supplemental income to people who are physically or mentally unable to work. If injuries from a car accident […]

Determining Eligibility for Social Security Disability: Do You Qualify?

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on October 28, 2015 in Social Security Disability

If you’ve ever wondered how the Social Security Administration (SSA) decides who is eligible for Social Security Disability (SSD), you’re not alone. The process of filing for SSD is often long and tedious, and the outcome of your claim is (at best) a murky conglomeration of endless possibilities. To help guide you through the process […]

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$10,043,952.13 Personal Injury
Schmidt Kramer, P.C.partner Gerard C. Kramer won a personal injury action for $10,043,952.13 in Northumberland County on behalf of a volunteer firefighter who was the victim of Intentional Tort. The 50-year-old volunteer firefighter was seriously injured when a barn collapsed, causing a spinal injury which left him a paraplegic. The claim was brought against the arsonist who intentionally started the fire. It is believed that the verdict is the highest ever in Northumberland County.
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$4,034,000.00 Personal Injury
Yesterday a Judge in Union County (Lewisburg, PA) awarded a couple from New Berlin, Pennsylvania, over $4,000,000 because the husband was shot while turkey hunting.You might ask yourself, how does a turkey hunting accident end up with that type of verdict? In order to understand the verdict you would have to know our clients. They are good people who had their life wrecked. Plus, you would have to know the defendant, who should not have been hunting with a gun because he was prohibited after a previous criminal conviction.It is a good verdict, because the Judge was able to do two things with his decision. First, he communicated to two very good people that their losses were something that those of us on the outside could appreciate and value. Mike Hobbins (our client) is a 51 year old guy who lost his sight because a convicted felon --who should not have even possessed a gun-- went hunting illegally, and broke with impunity the most fundamental rule in hunting: identify your target before you pull the trigger. The Judge accepted the financial loss Mr. Hobbins' suffered, but listened closely to the evidence of less tangible losses. When Mike broke down on the stand, because his daughter would end up walking him down the aisle at her wedding, as opposed to how it was supposed to go, the Judge was listening. When Mike could not keep it together, because of how emasculating it was for him not to be able to provide financially for his family, the Judge was listening. It was facts like these that the Judge cited to support the $2,000,000 award for non-economic damages. Second, the Judge wanted to send a message. Union County is a hunting county. Many of the residents hunt there, and people from outside the area come to Union County to hunt. It was my impression, from the Judge's statements as he rendered his decision, that he wanted to send a message to the people in Union County to protect them in their sport. The rules in place to restrict people convicted of crimes not to have a gun are not to be broken. Hunting is serious and you have to identify your target before you shoot. When you turn your back on the rules that are set to provide safety in a sport, you risk being an example. Here, the $1,000,000 punitive damage award sends that message loud and clear.When it really comes down to brass tacks, the right action was taken against a Defendant who may never truly appreciate what kind of impact his reckless choices caused.At Schmidt Kramer, we are injury lawyers. That means we work with people who were hurt in car accidents, who were hurt by the neglect of nursing homes, or those that were seriously injured because of the reckless, thoughtless acts of others. If you or a loved one have been injured in Pennsylvania, we may be able to help. While the verdict yesterday is not one that is representative of every case we do, it does show that serious and dedicated representation can bring good results.Joe ChapmanJanuary 18, 2013
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$2,200,000.00 Auto Accidents
On Monday, January 6, 2014, Schmidt Kramer accident lawyer Scott Cooper obtained a verdict on behalf of his client who is the widow of a man who died in a fiery crash on Interstate 78 in Lebanon County. The awarded verdict of $2.2 million was in a nonjury proceeding before a federal judge in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. That verdict includes $100,000 in punitive damages assessed against the owner of the trucking company.Kamilah Claxton won summary judgment in November after the defendants, Sukhwinder Singh and the trucking company for which he worked, failed to file a brief in opposition to Claxton's motion, which was made in September. The verdict in Claxton v. Singh was issued after the court held a non-jury assessment of damages earlier this month."Mr. Sukhchan Singh, the employer, is liable on the basis of respondent superior, but was also grossly negligent in failing to maintain his vehicle in compliance with state and federal law, particularly with regard to having required safety inspections and correcting defects in its braking equipment," said U.S. District Judge William W. Caldwell of the Middle District of Pennsylvania in his opinion accompanying the verdict."He was also grossly negligent in entrusting his vehicle to Sukhwinder Singh, an inexperienced truck driver who had failed the written test and driving test multiple times before finally earning his commercial driving license," Caldwell said.
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$1,200,000.00 Personal Injury
A Dauphin County jury has awarded a $1.2 million verdict to the parents of a 5-year-old who had an anoxic brain injury and stopped breathing after he had a tonsillectomy.2012-06-26 10:00:00 AMDate of Verdict: June 19. 2012Court and Case No.: C.P. Dauphin County No. 2009-CV-14003-MMJudge: Scott EvansType of Action: Medical malpracticeInjuries: Anoxic brain injuryPlaintiffs Counsel: Terry S. Hyman, Schmidt Kramer, HarrisburgPlaintiffs Experts: Dr. Anna H. Messner, liability; Lucille Packer, Pediatric Otolaryngology, Palo Alto, Calif.; Terry P. Leslie, vocations and earning capacity, Lancaster; Dr. Hilary B. Berlin, pediatric psychiatry, Great Neck, N.Y.Defense Counsel: Andrew H. Foulkrod, Darlene K. King, Foulkrod Ellis, Camp Hill, PADefense Experts: James C. Reilly, Pediatric Otolaryngology, Wilmington, DEComment: A Dauphin County jury has awarded a $1.2 million verdict to the parents of a 5-year-old who had an anoxic brain injury and stopped breathing after he had a tonsillectomy.The entire verdict came against Dr. Andrew M. Shapiro, the doctor who plaintiffs Reginald Graham and Tykeisha Metz alleged chose to have the boy monitored at a pediatric ward. The plaintiffs argued Shapiro failed to tell nurses caring for the baby about, and how to care for, the boy's enhanced risk for respiratory failure.The jury came back on June 19 and awarded Reginald Graham and Tykeisha Mets $500,000 in non-economic damages and $686,170 in loss of future earning capacity, according to the plaintiffs counsel.According to the statement, the baby's mother brought him to Shapiro because she was "'afraid that he might stop breathing during his sleep,'" the plaintiffs' pretrial statement said. Shapiro performed a sleep study and observed the baby's Apnea Hypopnea Index to be 43 — four times higher than what's considered severe. A tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy were performed.According to the plaintiffs, the baby's sleep study results put him at an increased risk for post-operative respiratory complications. Despite this, they argued in the statement, Shapiro ordered the pediatric nurses at the Harrisburg Hospital general pediatric ward to observe the boy as they would any other patients — about once every four hours.The pretrial statement said that one in four children who have an AHI in the 40s and oxygen desaturation below 80 have some type of respiratory problem. The younger the child, the greater the risk of a respiratory problem, the statement said.According to the statement, Shapiro took off the child's pulse oximeter, the finger-mounted device used to measure blood oxygen, and ordered a heart and respiratory rate monitor. The child was 11 months old at the time.The plaintiffs pled that the baby was last seen at 4 a.m. There was no record of his oxygen saturation for the next hour and 45 minutes. He stopped breathing a 6:40 a.m., and his brain was without oxygen long enough to cause demonstrable injury on an MRI."Immediately prior to his surgery, [the child] was a normal child, who could say mama, eat finger foods, and was just on the verge of walking," the statement said. "After his code, [he] was like a newborn. He could not lift his head or sit up. He could not talk. He could not move."In his pretrial statement, Shapiro argued that he recognized the child's pre-operative sleep study showed he was driven to breath by decreased blood oxygen saturation, which he said was typical in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.He argued the American Academy of Otolaryngology dictates that admission to the intensive care unit is not the standard of care. In the statement, he said nurses did not observe signs of respiratory distress. No alarms sounded until the child arrested, the statement said.He said the baby likely arrested as a result of hypoglycemia and/or an acute aspiration, which he argued would not have been identified by blood oxygen saturation.— Ben Present, of the Law Weekly
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$1,024,040.80 Auto Accidents
Scott Cooper settled a wrongful death case on behalf of the widow of a police office who was killed in a car accident in the line of duty for $1,024,040.80. The claim against the other driver was amicably resolved before suit was filed for the entire available policy limits for the other driver. The case took place in Adams County, PA.
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