Can I Receive Social Security Disability as An Injured Truck Driver?
Trucking, especially long-haul truck driving, can be a very demanding job. It can be physically taxing due to both physical exertions and long hours. Mentally trucking requires truck drivers to remain alert at the wheel for long shifts. Injuries can happen. Moreover, the strain placed upon the body by years of truck driving can worsen as you age.
At some point, many truck drivers find themselves no longer able to handle the physical and mental demands. For example, the exertion required to lift the hood of the truck or change a tire may be beyond your ability. Back pain from years of sitting can reduce a driver’s ability to drive for long periods of time. If your health has declined due to injury or illness, we can help you file a Social Security disability claim.
Types of Disability
Short Term Disability
Short Term Disability Insurance is beneficial for the time you spend recovering from injuries that are not permanently disabling but will render you unable to work for some time while you heal. Short Term Disability insurance income payments can protect you for up to 24 months in Nevada. These truck driver disability benefits are commonly used following relatively minor injuries. If you are no longer able to perform your job, but the disability is unlikely to last longer than two years, short-term disability is a great place to start to replace lost income.
Long term Disability
Long-term disability insurance is designed to pay a percentage of your pre-disability wages and can last until you reach retirement age. Long-term disability insurance benefits are typically used in cases of severe injuries. These life-changing injuries may be caused by a motor vehicle accident or workplace injuries. These disability benefits are typically provided to you through an insurance policy.
Most truck drivers will typically have these insurance benefits through an employer’s insurance policy. However, many truck drivers who work as owner operators in the trucking business may pay their private insurance carrier to provide coverage. This is especially common with long-haul truck drivers who may have an individual policy to minimize the risk of a sudden loss of income, rendering them unable to pay the cost to maintain their truck. We cannot recommend the best policy to protect you and your family. However, in the event you lose your job, a truck driver disability insurance policy can be vital to protect your future.
Many carriers offer truck drivers disability insurance coverage to prevent sudden disabling conditions. Truck driver’s disability insurance can be vital in the event of injuries to replace lost income. Whether due to injury, or underlying health conditions, a sudden illness can make it impossible to pay your bills. A sudden loss of income can quickly deplete any money left in savings and may force a truck driver to dip into their retirement accounts. This makes disability coverage vitally important to truck drivers.
Social Security Disability
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is a federal insurance program that will offer you a monthly amount based on how much you have previously paid through FICA taxes. Typically you must have worked at least five of the last ten years to qualify. For example, if you worked for five years as a truck driver before becoming injured and then spent two years trying to recover, you would still qualify to apply for benefits for another three years. This time constraint makes it vital to begin the application process early, as sometimes there can be gaps in employment due to other injuries or illnesses.
How do I apply for Social Security Disability as a truck driver?
If you have been or expect to be out of work for 12 months, you can apply for SSDI. This minimizes the waiting period and allows you to save money until your disability coverage kicks in. The waiting period for a new disability claim can take up to two years. During this time, many truck drivers have to rely on financial assistance to pay their bills. While most people do save money for emergencies, an accident or illness that renders you unable to drive your truck can result in a large amount of lost income.
At Shook and Stone, we have years of experience in many types of truck driver disability claims. We help truck drivers apply for Social Security Disability Insurance to get the money they are owed. Our team will make the process simple and easy for you. We handle collecting all of your medical records and will work with you to ensure the Social Security Administration has everything they need to expedite the process. If you are a truck driver who is struggling due to life changing injuries or illness, we can help.
Filing for Workman’s Compensation as a truck driver
If you are a truck driver who was injured on the job, we can help guide you through every step of the workman’s compensation process. If you think your employer is either not following the law or their insurance company is refusing to pay the full cost for your injuries, we can help. As a truck driver, you bear a lot of risk to your health as part of your job. Health insurance coverage can help with the cost of medical care, but the money lost during the recovery time can be significant.
As a truck driver, you can rely on our team of attorneys to protect you following a life-changing injury or accident. Drivers deal with a lot of risk on the job, and we will work with you to ensure that your employer cannot dodge paying you what you are owed due to a workplace injury. If you are injured while driving your truck, call (702) 570-0000 or fill out the form, we can help.