The judge who said my cane was just a prop

I had my hearing in Kansas City last March. The judge looked at my cane for about two seconds and said I was clearly ambulatory because I walked into the room without limping. She didn't ask why I had it or what my doctor said. Has anyone else had a judge make assumptions based on one tiny moment?

3 comments

3 Comments

claire87225d ago

Read a study about how judges deny disability claims based on how you walk into the room like 90% of the time. It's wild they think a few steps tells them anything about your actual daily life. Your cane isnt a prop, its a tool you need when you have to stand longer than ten minutes.

barbara_grant425d ago

That judge in Kansas City sounds like she made up her mind before you even sat down. My question is, did you or your lawyer get a chance to submit your medical records and your doctor's note explaining why you need the cane? I ask because I had a similar thing happen to a friend of mine, where the judge focused on the wrong thing and ignored the paperwork entirely. It seems like they treat a few seconds of walking as more important than months of doctor visits and test results. Did the judge actually look at any of your evidence, or did she just go off that one moment? I would be curious to know if there was a written decision that mentioned your cane or your condition at all.

the_susan25d ago

Wait, did the judge really say she watched you walk in without a limp? That's where the problem is, actually. Walking into a room just a few steps from a parking lot doesn't tell anyone about how you feel after standing in line or carrying groceries. My rheumatologist told me that cane use is about stamina and pain over time, not just one short walk. Judges aren't doctors and they definitely don't know what it's like to have your hip scream at you after sitting in a hard chair for an hour. It's like they think if you can move at all, you must be fine, which just isn't how chronic conditions work.