The Social Security regulations contain criteria for categorizing various disabilities in the “List of Impairments.”  The third step in the sequential evaluation process requires matching your symptoms with the ones on the list and determining if they match or are “medically equal” to the listed medical signs, findings, and symptoms.

Just because your impairment is not listed does not mean that you cannot satisfy the test, as long as it is medically equivalent to a listed impairment. There are four ways in which this can occur: (1) one of the essential findings from the Listings is missing in your case, but other findings matching your particular impairment are present; (2) all of the essential findings are present, though one or more is not sufficiently severe and other findings are present; (3) the Listings do not contain your exact impairment, but do have one to which yours can be analogized; or (4) the cumulative total of your impairments may be equivalent to a Listing, even though each impairment considered separately would not.

As a seasoned Milwaukee disability attorney, Tom Bush has extensive experience comparing medical findings, symptoms and limitations in functioning to show why a claimant who at first does not appear to meet the test is just as disabled as another claimant whose impairment neatly fits a particular Listing.  He may be able to demonstrate to the ALJ, based on the opinion of a medical expert hired by SSA, how your impairment medically equals a Listed Impairment.  For a free consultation, contact Milwaukee disability attorney Tom Bush today.