Disability benefits are easier to obtain with a knowledgeable attorney
The pursuit of disability benefits can be frustrating if you don’t understand how the system works.
The evaluation process defies common sense, documents are often lost, unanswered or mis-answered questions can be fatal to your claim, and the good folks at Social Security Administration understand their retirement program better than their disability program.
Without years of experience pursuing disability claims, you are at a major disadvantage. Avoiding pitfalls, assembling persuasive medical proof, and crafting winning arguments is an art best polished over hundreds of claims.
A knowledgeable and experienced disability attorney will help you by:
Obtaining reports from treating doctors that are consistent with Social Security regulations
Referring claimants to specialists for additional reports that answer questions raised by Social Security regulations
Obtaining a vocational expert’s evaluation of your ability to work
Asking that a prior application for benefits be reopened
Seeking a waiver of a time limit
Requesting subpoenas to insure the presence of crucial witnesses or documents
Advising you on how best to prepare for and testify at the hearing
Objecting to improper evidence or procedures at the hearing
Cross-examining adverse witnesses
Presenting a closing statement
Submitting a written summary of the evidence and argument
If you win, making sure the SSA correctly calculates benefits
If you lose, requesting review of the hearing decision by the Appeals Council
For this work, a disability attorney will typically charge 25% of your back benefits, up to a maximum set by the Commissioner of Social Security, which is currently $7,200.
If this sounds like the kind of help you can use in seeking disability benefits, contact us today!