David Paletta

Degenerative disc disease.  One of the most common causes of disability is chronic back pain. We have all hurt our back at one time or another. We take it easy for a few days or few weeks and fully recover. However, for some individuals back pain is chronic, severe and debilitating. The Spine. The spine is tremendously important because it provides the physical support for our entire body. The spine has five parts – cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacrum and coccyx. Spinal vertebrae are bones that form an opening in which the [...]

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic and often disabling disease of the central nervous system, which consists of the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. Multiple sclerosis (MS) damages myelin, a fatty substance that normally surrounds and protects the nerves. It can also damage nerves within the central nervous system. […]

Anyone who experiences migraine headaches knows how debilitating these headaches can be. Some individuals experience migraines so frequently they are not able to hold a job. […]

Gastroparesis – an Overview. In healthy people, when the stomach is functioning normally, contractions of the stomach help to crush ingested food and then propel the pulverized food into the small intestine where further digestion and absorption of nutrients occurs. Gastroparesis is a condition in which your stomach is unable to contract normally, and therefore cannot crush food nor propel food into the small intestine properly. […]

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease. For reasons doctors still do not understand, the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues, especially the synovial joint. […]

The procedure for Social Security disability appeals is broken at all levels of the appellate process.  Be prepared for a frustrating experience. The 1st Disability Appeal. If your disability claim is denied, you can appeal to the Disability Determination Services known as DDS. 1. 20% of my clients have been obviously disabled at the time I first met with them. In 34 years I have never lost one of these very strong cases. Yet, DDS denied 100% of these cases. 2. I have had a few cases in which it is [...]

The HITECH Act is an excellent tool attorneys can use to obtain medical records at a lower cost. Disability attorneys, workers compensation attorneys and personal injury attorneys spend thousands of dollars each year obtaining the medical records of their clients. Historically, attorneys have used a HIPAA authorization to obtain these records. […]

Attorney Wellness and the Practice of Law. Recently I spoke at a seminar sponsored by the Disability Advocacy Section of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice on the topic of attorney wellness and the practice of law. All attorneys know practicing law is a high stress profession. Nonetheless, when I made a list for this seminar of the kinds of stress I experience on a regular basis, the size of the list surprised me. Examples of Stress. Here is a condensed version of the List. * operating a business and managing [...]

Pancreatitis is a disorder involving the pancreas that causes severe, debilitating abdominal pain. It is impossible to work while one is stricken with acute pancreatitis. This article discusses how a person with pancreatitis can obtain Social Security disability benefits. […]

Fibromyalgia is a complex medical Disorder characterized by widespread pain in the muscles and joints that persists for more than 3 months. My fibromyalgia clients often tell me they “hurt all over”. […]