FERS Disability Retirement Law: Mistaken Identity

Mistaken Identity can take many forms.  In its simplest version, it is to merely mistake one person for being another.  But there are other, more complex forms.  For example, of going to an extravagant dinner party, enjoying the lavish food, being impressed with the splendor of the decor, the fine mansion, the seemingly expensive furniture, and the elegance of well-dressed people — and mistakenly identifying the wealth of accouterments for the foundation of a fine evening.

You had “fun”.  It was a great evening.  Elegance was the appearance; conversations — well, they had their moments.  The “mistake” is, indeed, in making the identification with the surroundings, and not with the relationships.  That is the difference between modernity and times past; we tend to think that the surroundings — the furniture, the paintings, all of the “possessions” — make up for and constitute the conclusory declaration of a “fine evening”.

But that is where the mistaken identity takes place; for, could not the same result have been achieved in less extravagant settings?  Was it because we were so impressed by the wealth abounding, that we forgot the importance of relationships?

And so we have gone about destroying human interaction, thinking that the accouterments were the basis for a fine evening, disregarding the relational interactions which should always take precedence over the superficial trappings which deceive.  But that is the consequence of materialism — of thinking that, at the end of the day, the winner, the king of the mountain, the one who prevails, is the one who has amassed the greatest volume of possessions.

It is the greatest of mistaken identities — that acquiring “stuff” is what makes us happy.

For Federal employees and U.S. Postal workers who suffer from a medical condition and need to consider preparing, formulating and filing an effective Federal Disability Retirement application through the U.S. Office of Personnel Management under FERS, the “mistaken identity” is often in failing to see that one’s health takes precedence over all else.

It is something we have always taken for granted; yet, without it, all else becomes secondary and irrelevant by comparison.

Contact a FERS Disability Attorney who specializes in Federal Disability Retirement Law, and begin to correct the misconception which has resulted in a mistaken identity — that health comes before all else, and getting a Federal Disability Retirement annuity will help you to prioritize your health.

Sincerely,

Robert R. McGill
Lawyer exclusively representing Federal and Postal employees to secure their Federal Disability Retirement benefits under FERS from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

 

Federal & Postal Employee Disability Retirement: History and Evidence

There is much debate these days about history, revisionism, and the bias inherent in past historical analysis, and the foundation-shaking changes in the world of academia — specifically in the History Department — is an interesting phenomena to witness.

“History” has often been seen as the narrative told by the “winners” and conquerors.  Who tells it; how it is told; from whose perspective; which information is magnified and which is minimized; what should be relegated to footnotes and after-notes — these all comprise the “objectivity” of a historical narrative.

Is it, for example, “revisionism” to include more prominently the “dark side” of history?  In a strict sense, it is — for “revisionism” means to “revise”, for what reasons: Of new information previously undiscovered; of a previously acknowledged and recognized inherent biased view needing correction; of pertinent historical facts previously ignored; and even of factual material deliberately distorted.

History is an exciting field; one which is necessary to a nation’s narrative and perspective of itself; and what story is told, how it is told, and the quality of the material gathered and disseminated — all are important in the telling of a nation’s story, and revisionism should always be an integral part of it — of revising for purposes of accuracy and proper perspective, based upon the evidence available.

We should never fear revisionism based upon integrity, but should celebrate and embrace it.

For Federal employees and U.S. Postal workers who suffer from a medical condition such that the medical condition prevents the Federal or Postal employee from performing one or more of the essential elements of one’s Federal or Postal job — some history is important: History of one’s performance; history of one’s medical condition; history of the interplay between evidence and personal experience.

Contact a Federal Disability Lawyer, that is, one who specializes in Federal Disability Retirement Law, and begin the process of preparing, formulating and filing for Federal Disability Retirement benefits, where history and evidence coincide to create the most effective narrative possible.

Sincerely,

Robert R. McGill, Lawyer

 

Postal and Federal Medical Retirement: The Difference

Perhaps it is large and expansive; or, of such a thin, frail line that one can barely notice it; in either case, it is that difference — large or small, wide or thin, statistically insignificant or clearly discernible — that makes the difference.

How important is it to you?  What are you willing to invest in the difference in order to make the difference a difference of relevance?  What level and extent of a difference will make it significant enough that the difference will be the difference between success or failure?

For Federal employees and U.S. Postal workers who suffer from a medical condition which prompts the necessity for filing an effective FERS Medical Retirement application with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, it is important to have that “advantage” and “edge” in increasing the chances of a successful application.  The difference will likely be the lawyer you choose.

Contact a Federal Disability Retirement Lawyer who has made a difference in the lives of countless thousands of Federal employees and Postal workers, and enhance your chances of a successful outcome by preparing, formulating and filing an effective Federal Disability Retirement application under FERS.

Sincerely,

Robert R. McGill, Esquire

 

Federal Employee Disability Retirement: Sufficiency Test

“Sufficiency” is a funny word; like other subjective experiences, one often doesn’t know when it has been satisfied, but one nevertheless knows when it has not.  Like spectrums which reveal a range, sufficiency is a point of satisfaction which is recognized to have been met only after the point of sufficiency has been passed.

What constitutes “passing” the sufficiency test?  If someone has been kidnapped and a ransom note has been received, demanding payment for the safe return of the individual, is there an amount less than the demanded amount which would be “sufficient” to satisfy the kidnapper’s demands?  Can a platoon be “sufficiently” prepared for a combat mission, although not completely combat-ready?  Can percentages be applied which establishes meeting the criteria for sufficiency, at all times and in all instances, which can be applied as having met the sufficiency test?

Say a person says, “It is 80% done — sufficient for the purposes?”  Would this apply in painting a room, building a house or constructing a bridge?  Say that a bridge has been built 80%, and the last 20% is the part of the end where there remains a gap where suddenly the bridge ends with a missing piece where the gap exists such that a vehicle traveling would crash down a 100-foot drop to a tragic end — do we still say that the bridge was sufficiently built?

For Federal employees and U.S. Postal Workers who are intending on filing for Federal Disability Retirement benefits, the issue of sufficiency takes on an important role: What constitutes sufficient medical evidence and how is the unspoken sufficiency test met?

Consult with an attorney who specializes in Federal Disability Retirement Law to make sure that the Sufficiency Test will be met. In doing so, you may prevent a leisurely drive over a bridge only 80% finished, and be provided an alternative route in order to help you arrive at your destination in a sufficiently safe and efficient manner.

Sincerely,

Robert R. McGill, Esquire

OPM Disability Retirement: The Task of Forgetting

Leisure activities are the tasks of forgetting; it is to engage in them precisely in order to become distracted from our work-a-day universe and replenish our “batteries” in order to go back into the fray of battle.  Battle-worn soldiers need the time away from the constant stresses of perilous missions in order to regain a sense of balance and perspective; and the lioness with her cubs sees the value of play in preparing them for the more serious ordeal of hunting for survival.

The task of forgetting is how we entertain ourselves — of reading a novel by forgetting about the reality of our lives; of watching a television show or movie and forgetting about the troubles central to our lives; of playing a video game or participating in crowd gatherings in order to watch a sport being played, or even in the direct engagement of a sport; these, and many others, require the task of forgetting in order to become a participant.

A medical condition, however, denies the task of forgetting.  That is why medical conditions are so inherently exhausting; they remain as a constant reminder of our mortality and frailty, and deny the access to needed rest and restorative peace.  For Federal employees and U.S. Postal workers who suffer from a medical condition such that the medical condition prevents the Federal or Postal employee from performing one or more of the essential elements of one’s Federal or Postal job, filing for Federal Disability Retirement should be an option to be considered, if only to attain the capacity to again engage in the task of forgetting.

The chronic nature of a medical condition is what often fatigues; and as the inability to perform all of the essential elements of one’s job begins to fester and overwhelm, it may be time to consult with an attorney who is experienced in Federal Disability Retirement Law in an effort to reacquire the capacity to engage in the task of forgetting.

Sincerely,

Robert R. McGill, Esquire