Bluestein Attorneys | Blog

When most people think of Social Security Disability, they generally picture people who fall into one of two categories:

• adults who are no longer able to work due to a sudden disabling injury or illness
• or people disabled at birth or in early childhood or young adulthood

However, there is a third category of people who may be eligible for Social Security Disability — those who suffer from a progressive disability that only gradually removes their ability to work.

Hearing loss is not always disabling, but in some cases previously-hearing people have lost the ability to maintain employment as their hearing loss worsens.

People suffering from disabling hearing loss may qualify for Social Security Disability payments to help make ends meet.

Crystal Reynolds Fisher's 18-year-old son became sick with a fever, ending up on life support as he deteriorated rapidly. Crystal, who works at a gas station in her local Albion, Michigan community, texted her boss to let her know that she would need to take time off work in order to be close to her son during his recovery.

Dawn's response was chilling: "If you can't come to work, that's you quitting."

Crystal posted the text conversation on her personal Facebook page, where it quickly began to spread and eventually appeared on national news organization websites detailing Crystal's situation.

In the case of Ms. Fisher, the company she works for terminated the employment of the manager after her story made national news and granted her medical leave as needed. 

But... what if you don't have a story that 'goes viral', attracting national attention and putting pressure on a company to approve emergency leave?

The United States of America is celebrating its 242nd birthday this year, and we'd like to wish all of you and safe and happy celebration!