Five Injuries That Most Commonly Lead to SSDI Approval
Jan. 2, 2026
Living with a serious injury can turn everyday routines into exhausting challenges. Pain, fatigue, and limited mobility don’t just affect your body—they affect your ability to work, support yourself, and plan for the future. When an injury keeps you from earning a living, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) can provide critical financial support.
At Lloyd King Law Firm PLLC, I work with people across North Carolina, including Garner, Roanoke Rapids, Greensboro, and Fayetteville, who have sustained injuries. While not every injury will result in SSDI approval, there are five types of injuries that typically qualify. As a Social Security disability attorney, I help clients understand these types of injuries, how their medical conditions meet SSDI requirements, and what documentation can strengthen their claims.
Spinal Injuries and Disorders
Back and neck injuries are among the most common reasons people apply for SSDI. Damage to the spine can interfere with nearly every movement, from standing and walking to lifting and sitting for extended periods. Social Security looks at how an injury limits your ability to perform work-related tasks consistently. Chronic spinal pain, reduced range of motion, and nerve involvement can make even sedentary jobs unrealistic. Some common spinal conditions that can often result in approval include:
Herniated or bulging discs: These can press on nerves, causing ongoing pain, numbness, or weakness.
Degenerative disc disease: Progressive disc damage may limit mobility and worsen over time.
Spinal stenosis: The narrowing of the spinal canal can cause considerable pain, balance problems, and difficulty walking.
Failed back surgery syndrome: Persistent symptoms after surgery may prevent a return to work.
Medical imaging, treatment records, and consistent reports of your functional limitations play a major role in these claims. When documentation shows how pain and restricted movement affect your daily activities, SSDI approval becomes more likely.
If a spinal injury has kept you out of work for months, an experienced Social Security disability attorney can help connect your medical evidence to Social Security’s criteria before you move on to the next step.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can impact your life in ways that aren't always visible. Even after physical wounds heal, cognitive and emotional effects may linger, interfering with employment. Social Security evaluates TBIs based on their impact on thinking, memory, concentration, and behavior. These issues can be just as limiting as physical pain, especially in jobs that require focus or decision-making. Some common effects of traumatic brain injuries include:
Memory problems: Difficulty recalling instructions or recent events.
Concentration issues: Trouble staying focused on tasks for extended periods.
Mood and behavior changes: Irritability, depression, or impulsive behavior.
Slower processing speed: Taking longer to understand or respond to information.
Neurological evaluations, psychological testing, and reports from family members can all support a claim. When a TBI prevents reliable job performance, SSDI benefits may be approved.
Severe Joint Injuries
Joint injuries can make everyday movements such as standing, walking, reaching, or using your hands extremely painful or even impossible. Joints such as the hips, knees, shoulders, and ankles play an essential role in nearly every type of job, whether the work is physically demanding or primarily done at a desk.
Social Security considers joint injuries disabling when they continue to limit movement despite ongoing treatment. Surgery, injections, and physical therapy don’t always restore full function, particularly when the damage is severe.
Strong medical documentation is critical in these cases. Records showing your reduced range of motion, persistent pain, and clear functional limitations can help demonstrate how the injury affects your daily activities and job performance.
When joint injuries prevent sustained employment, SSDI may be an option. Speaking with a Social Security disability attorney can help clarify how your specific joint condition aligns with Social Security’s expectations before moving forward.
Chronic Pain Conditions
Chronic pain doesn’t always show up on imaging tests, but it can be just as disabling as visible injuries. Conditions marked by ongoing pain and fatigue often make regular attendance and productivity impossible.
Social Security looks closely at how chronic pain affects daily activities over time. Consistent treatment, documented symptoms, and physician statements all matter. Some chronic pain conditions that commonly lead to SSDI approval include:
Fibromyalgia: Widespread pain combined with fatigue and cognitive difficulties.
Complicated regional pain syndrome: Severe pain that often follows an injury or surgery.
Chronic migraines: Frequent, debilitating headaches that disrupt work schedules.
Myofascial pain syndrome: Persistent muscle pain with trigger points.
These claims often rely on detailed medical notes and a clear history of how pain interferes with normal functioning. A social security disability attorney can help you organize this information so it accurately reflects the daily impact of your condition before you move on.
Loss of Limb or Severe Crush Injuries
The loss of a limb or a severe crush injury can permanently change how you function day to day and often makes many types of work unrealistic. Even with prosthetics, surgery, or extensive rehabilitation, you may be left with significant limitations.
Social Security evaluates these injuries by looking at how they affect your balance, coordination, and ability to use your hands or feet effectively. In some situations, an amputation or similarly severe injury may meet SSDI listings outright, while other cases depend on how much the injury limits your basic work activities.
Conditions such as the amputation of an arm or leg, severe hand injuries that reduce grip strength or fine motor skills, and crush injuries that cause extensive tissue or nerve damage can all interfere with reliable employment. Medical records play a central role in showing how these injuries affect long-term functioning.
Surgical reports, follow-up treatment notes, and rehabilitation documentation help demonstrate ongoing pain, weakness, or mobility issues that prevent a return to work. When those limitations are clearly documented, SSDI approval becomes more likely.
A Social Security disability attorney can help you present this evidence in a clear, organized way so Social Security understands how the injury continues to affect your ability to work.
Take the Next Step Toward Financial Stability
SSDI claims can feel intimidating, especially when you’re already dealing with pain or recovery. However, you don’t have to handle the process on your own. As a Social Security disability attorney, my goal is to help you pursue the benefits you need to regain financial stability and peace of mind. If an injury has kept you from working and you’re unsure what to do next, reach out to Lloyd King Law Firm PLLC today.
My firm assists clients throughout North Carolina, including Garner, Roanoke Rapids, Greensboro, and Fayetteville, by helping them present strong disability claims rooted in clear medical evidence. Contact my firm today to schedule a free consultation and explore how I can help you move forward.