For a federal worker such as one working within the USPS, being diagnosed with a progressive condition such as rheumatoid arthritis or age-related macular degeneration may mean a slow descent into pathology where the illness will one day cause the USPS last mile worker to stop working on account of functional disability or chronic, unrelenting pain. At present, a lot of these progressive illnesses do not have a cure and can only be managed by medications such as TNF blockers or biologics which also have their own slew of side-effects. These conditions may quality a USPS worker for retirement benefits under FERS disability compensation; however, the law states that you must currently be disabled and unable to carry out vital work-related activities, with no consideration about how progressive diseases may lead to loss of function in the near future.

This therefore presents you, the unwell USPS worker with a catch-22: you need these benefits in order to ease into retirement under the Federal Employees Retirement System or FERS disability, but your current condition is not in line with the “inability to perform” requirement. Unfortunately, a lost of injured or unwell federal workers wait until they have completely deteriorated and are unable to work in order to file, falsely believing that their condition at time will strengthen their case.

However, delaying may put you under undue financial strain and potentially jeopardize your claim. At McCready Law, we are experienced when it comes to fighting for the rights of injured federal workers within the USPS agency as well as those who develop occupational illnesses, and we understand the importance of constructing a powerful legal and medical argument in the here and now so that we can communicate your prognosis effectively in order to have your FERS disability compensation approved – read on to find out just exactly how we do this.

Get The Best Representation for Your Case

Are you looking for the best FERS disability compensation lawyer? Please call us NOW at (314) 481-63338 to learn more about your legal options for justice and compensation. The experienced injured USPS worker attorneys at McCready Law have represented thousands of injured or unwell federal workers who are either looking to apply for benefits such as schedule awards, or those who have sustained a disabling injury or illness that has rendered them temporarily or permanently incapacitated or disabled, requiring early retirement by way of FERS disability compensation.

We have nationwide reach as we work closely with referral attorneys and law firms to cater to all injured USPS workers from every corner of the country, and we help expedite your claim by personally handling all communications with OPM, send you off to physicians who are conversant with the unique needs and injuries as well as illnesses experienced by USPS workers who can perform exams and assessments as well as craft objective, compelling medical reports demonstrating not only causation or aggravation, but the fact that you are unable to perform essential work functions.

We understand and empathize with you with regard to the sometimes-inaccessible nature of legal services: at McCready Law, we aim to ensure that all injured USPS workers are able to access these services and that is why we are pleased to announce the availability of flat, affordable and never-changing hourly fees that we can discuss and agree upon prior to the commencement of representation. In addition, our fees are usually assessed by OPM to ensure they are fair and reasonable prior to starting our representation as the idea is to leave the injured USPS worker with as much financial resources as possible so they can comfortably take care of their medical, home upkeep and any other financial needs that arise. If you were injured or fell ill while working for the USPS as a last-mile worker or in any department for that matter, please call us NOW at (314) 481-63338 to learn more about your legal options for justice and compensation – our intake team is standing by.

What is Considered Functional Disability According to OPM?

According to the Office of Personnel Management or OPM, the office mandated to overseeing FERS disability benefits compensation, disability doesn’t mean a complete inability to work, but it is a medical condition which prevents you from rendering “useful and efficient service” at your current position within the USPS organization.

This is a fundamental difference and is used to assess any progressive illness claim. This distinction doesn’t require you to be incapable of any work or bedridden; instead, it asks if you can perform essential work functions as a USPS last mile carrier in a manner that is both useful and efficient for the public and the team you work with. In order to win a progressive illness claim under FERS disability benefits compensation, you must be able to connect your medical diagnosis and disability to meet the standards above at this moment and as your condition progresses.

The Progressive Illness Conundrum and Federal Workers

The issue with progressive illnesses is the fact that it can change from one day to the next; one day you may have great days and appear to be in remission, and on other days, you may not even be able to get out of bed. This means that articulating your condition in a clear manner may be challenging as the goal post, so to speak, changes with each passing day. Unfortunately, OPM likes to work in absolutes and looks at the holistic and complete picture which makes your diagnosis, symptoms and prognosis clear and presented in an objective manner. That said, the system was built to meet you where you are, and not let you completely break down with regard to your finances and health before it offers assistance.

The cornerstone of a successful FERS disability claim starts with medical documentation:

1. Ensure to have detailed and consistent doctor’s notes every time you visit your physical therapist, rheumatologist or any other physician so that your range of motion limitations, pain levels and swelling are documented. This detailed information especially as regard to how the condition impacts your ability to walk, lift and carry packages, drive a vehicle and so on will help prove that your condition is not only active and present, but that it is also progressive.
2. It is also vital that you get the prognosis of a specialist, whether it is an ophthalmologist, rheumatologist or neurologist. This is perhaps the most important piece of information or evidence you can provide to OPM, and this statement is usually recorded on OPM’s Standard Form SF-3112C. Ensure that the specialist physician states that due to the progressive nature of your condition, you are and will continue to be unable to perform essential work duties as a USPS last mile worker, and have them write down the projected timeline of your decline.
3. Diagnostic test results also paint an unassailable picture of your condition, so ensure to request to have these done and keep them safely in a folder. This includes things like MRI results, lab reports, X-rays and blood tests for conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis such as anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) as well as rheumatoid factor.

What About Reasonable Accommodation for Federal Workers with Progressive Illnesses?

Lastly, it is important to note that OPM is required to certify that it cannot reasonably accommodate your medical condition at your current position or reassign you to another vacant position within your commuting area at the same pay grade.  That said, a progressive condition means that even when USPS may be able to accommodate you, this may only work for a few months or a year, before your decline forces you out of work, essentially making long-term accommodation an impossibility.

Best FERS Disability Compensation Attorneys – Call Us NOW!

Whether you have progressive rheumatoid arthritis, Guillain-Barre syndrome, worsening eyesight, progressive nerve damage, it is important that you do not wait as a USPS worker until things become unmanageable; call us NOW at (314) 481-63338 so we can start the FERS disability compensation on your behalf before you get overwhelmed and are unable to help yourself. The call is 100% FREE, and we serve all sick USPS workers countrywide despite the nature of your illness. Thanks for choosing McCready Law best federal workers’ compensation attorneys, and we look forward to helping you.