“My neighbor has the same back problem I have, and he got approved in three months. Why didn’t I?” It is one of the most common questions in Social Security disability cases. It is also one of the most understandable. When someone you know gets approved, it is natural to compare your claim to theirs. If the diagnosis sounds the same, the result should feel predictable. But Social Security disability claims do not work that way. A claim is not decided by diagnosis alone. The S