Charlottesville Disability Rights Attorney

Helping Virginians with Disabilities and Special Needs Live a Better Life

The federal and Virginia legislatures have each enacted laws that protect and provide benefits for people living with disabilities and special needs, temporary and permanent. Norton Health Law has extensive experience with these laws and is prepared to guide you through them and get you all the help to which you’re entitled.

We can help you with your disability claims, including but not limited to those regarding:

Social Security Disability
Private and employer-sponsored Short-term and Long-term disability insurance
Americans with Disability Act (ADA)
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
Fair Housing Act
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
And more

Obtaining Your Social Security Disability Benefits

If you’ve worked and ever looked at your paystub, you know that FICA takes a big chunk (7.65%) out of your paycheck every month, with your employer also matching that amount. What you may not know is that FICA stands for Federal Insurance Contributions Act. So, between you and your employer, you are paying over 15% of every dollar you make to purchase insurance through the federal insurance program created by the Social Security Act.

The Act provides retirement income, healthcare (Medicare) and disability benefits to those who are legally entitled. Like any private insurance policy, your FICA payments constitute, in part, premiums for disability insurance that entitle you to coverage if you become “disabled” as that term is defined by the law.

Appealing SSDI Claim Denials

Like private insurance companies, however, the Social Security Administration does not make it easy to obtain benefits, even when a person is clearly entitled. Instead, they generally deny disabled applicants as a rule until the application reaches the level of a formal appeal.

A formal appeal involves a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge. An applicant must receive two denials before a hearing can be scheduled, The applicant can then be formally represented by an experienced disability attorney.

The appeals process can be extremely lengthy and frustrating, especially in light of the fact that the applicant is dealing with a disabling condition and living without income. The administration knows that many people give up before their claim is finally approved following the hearing.

If you’ve become disabled and are struggling to have your Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) approved, we can help. Our experienced attorney will prepare a solid case for you and will advocate on your behalf at the hearing on your appeal. You paid for these benefits, and we will make sure you get all the benefits you paid for.

Private and Employer-Sponsored Disability Insurance

Similar to the SSDI insurance you paid for each payday, you and/or your employer may also have paid into a private disability policy. Whereas SSDI insurance only provides long-term benefits, many employers offer short-term benefits as part of their employee benefits packages.

The insurance company will do everything in its power and try to use every legal loophole it can to deny your claim for short- or long-term benefits. Norton Health Law is familiar with all their tricks and is not intimidated by them and their tactics. You paid for these benefits and we will make sure you get all the benefits you paid for.

If you are fighting a wrongfully denied disability or other health insurance claims, we want to help. Schedule a consultation by calling 434-978-3100 or contacting us online.

Your Rights Under the Americans with Disability Act (ADA)

The ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment. To
be protected by the ADA, one must have a disability or have a relationship
or association with an individual with a disability.

The ADA provisions differ considerably depending on the context, but with
regard to employment, it prohibits discrimination in:

Recruitment
Hiring
Promotions
Training
Pay
Social activities
Other privileges of employment

The ADA also restricts questions that can be asked about an applicant’s
disability before a job offer is made. It requires that employers make
reasonable accommodation to the known physical or mental limitations of
otherwise qualified individuals with disabilities, unless it results in
undue hardship.

ADA complaints regarding employment are generally filed with the U. S.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or designated State or
local fair employment practice agency. ADA claims pertaining to State
and local government agencies are generally filed with the U.S. Department
of Justice.

Norton Health Law has extensive experience assisting people with ADA claims
and will do everything in its power to ensure all your rights are protected.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

The IDEA requires public schools to provide all eligible children with disabilities
a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment
appropriate to their individual needs. It also requires public school
systems to develop appropriate Individualized Education Programs (IEP’s)
for each child, which includes the specific special education and related
services each individual needs to receive.

If parents disagree with the proposed IEP, they can request a due process
hearing and a review from the local school division. They may also request
that the dispute be resolved by a mediator provided by the Virginia Department
of Education. If all else fails, they also can appeal the decision in
State or Federal court.

Norton Health Law believes every child deserves the opportunity to succeed
in life, beginning with an education tailored to his or her needs, and
we are committed to helping parents ensure their child receives the highest
quality of education the law entitles them.

Disability and the Fair Housing Act

The Fair Housing Act requires owners of housing facilities to make reasonable exceptions in
their policies and operations to afford people with disabilities equal
housing opportunities. For example, a landlord with a “no pets”
policy may be required to grant an exception to this rule and allow an
individual who is blind to keep a guide dog in the residence.

The Fair Housing Act also requires landlords to allow tenants with disabilities to make reasonable access-related modifications to their private living space, as well as to common use spaces. However, the landlord is not required to pay for the changes.

The FHA further requires that new multifamily housing with four or more
units be designed and built to allow access for persons with isabilities.

This includes:

Accessible common use areas
Doors that are wide enough for wheelchairs
Kitchens and bathrooms that allow a person using a wheelchair to maneuver
Other adaptable features within the units

Complaints of Fair Housing Act violations may be filed with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. If you aren’t satisfied with the response you’ve received from the department, we may be able to help.

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

The FMLA entitles eligible employees of covered employers to take unpaid,
job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons with continuation of group health insurance coverage under the same terms and conditions as if the employee had not taken leave.

Eligible employees are entitled to one of the following:

Twelve workweeks of leave in a 12-month period for:
- The birth of a child and to care for the newborn child within one year of birth
- The placement with the employee of a child for adoption or foster care and to care for the newly placed child within one year of placement
- To care for the employee’s spouse, child, or parent who has a serious health condition
- A serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the essential functions of his or her job
- Any qualifying exigency arising out of the fact that the employee’s spouse, son, daughter, or parent is a covered military member on “covered active duty
Twenty-six workweeks of leave during a single 12-month period to care for a covered servicemember with a serious injury or illness if the eligible employee is the servicemember’s spouse, son, daughter, parent, or next of kin (military caregiver leave).

If your employer isn’t giving you the leave the FMLA entitles you to, call Norton Health Law. We may be able to help.

Let Us Help You with Your Disability-Related Claim

Our founding attorney had her life changed by a disability, so we understand what is at stake. We are patients-first and will do everything in our power to make sure you get the benefits you need to comfortably adjust or recover. We will help you navigate the process for obtaining both private and government-sponsored benefits and will help you assert your rights under the law. We are committed to the long-term wellbeing of our clients and will do everything in our power to make sure you live the fullest, best, most independent life possible.

If you are struggling to receive benefits from a disability insurance claim, we want to help. Schedule your consultation by dialing Contact us online or dial 434-978-3100 today.