Gordon’s battle with severe mental and physical health issues left him unable to work. His journey to secure SSDI benefits was long and challenging, but persistence paid off.
The Fight for SSDI
Gordon filed his SSDI claim on August 22, 2012. Despite being initially denied on December 14, 2012, and again upon reconsideration on February 10, 2013, he continued to pursue his claim.
Court Day
Gordon’s hearing took place on February 11, 2014, with attorney John J. Chihak representing him. A vocational expert also provided testimony during the hearing.
Gathering Evidence
Chihak + Chihak gathered crucial medical evidence from Gordon’s providers, including Dr. Heidi Iwanski, Dr. William A. Burkhart, NW Hospital Neurology, UW Medical Center Hall Health, and Dr. Carol Stanley.
Gordon’s Testimony
Gordon testified about his inability to work due to marked bilateral temporal lobe atrophy, frontal atrophy, knee osteoarthritis, a cognitive disorder, and major depressive disorder. He explained that these conditions made it impossible for him to continue his previous job as an IT manager and college instructor, or even perform simple tasks. He detailed his struggles with memory, understanding, and physical coordination, and shared how he sometimes gets lost while walking and has to call his wife for help.
Expert Opinion
The vocational expert testified that given Gordon’s age, education, work experience, and severe impairments, there were no jobs in the national economy he could perform.
The Verdict
The Administrative Law Judge concluded that Gordon could not make a successful vocational adjustment to any work available in significant numbers in the national economy. Based on the expert testimony and medical evidence, the judge approved Gordon’s SSDI claim.