How Can A Lawyer Help You Get Social Security Disability Benefits?

by David F. Chermol on Jul. 21, 2020

Government Social Security Health Care 

Summary: An experienced Social Security Disability Lawyer increases the chance to win disability benefits to a great extent. Want to know how? Give this blog a read and improve your knowledge about disability cases.

Individuals who are unable to work in a productive and efficient way due to severe physical and mental conditions can file a social security disability claim and qualify for disability benefits. However, going through the disability application process alone can be extremely challenging and overwhelming, and there is a high chance that the claim might not even be approved.

 

Most claimants with disabilities wait about a year or so before they receive a final decision on their application for disability benefits. If the Social Security Administration denies the initial application of a claimant, the claimant must then appeal the denied application and request a hearing in court in front of an Administrative Law Judge. After appealing for a Social Security Claim, a claimant may even experience further delays, though the wait times vary from one region to another.  

 

What Should A Claimant Do to Speed Up the Disability Claim Process?

 

A claimant may avoid the year-long wait and effectively speed up the disability claim process if they approach a professional disability lawyer. As per a survey report, it has been observed that individuals who applied either for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) experienced more success with their disability claim when they worked with an experienced disability lawyer.

 

Having a lawyer beside you can make a big difference when you are in dire need of winning approval for a disability claim and receiving the entitled compensation. A disability attorney must do many tasks for a claim and make effective use of their skills to expedite the extremely long disability claim process. Your disability advocate will leave no stone unturned to prove the severity of your disabling conditions and ensure that you win the disability claim. In comparison to an injured claimant who does not seek any legal assistance, the possibilities of winning approval for disability benefits is almost doubled when one hires a disability attorney.

 

How Can A Disability Attorney Come to Your (A Claimant’s) Rescue?

 

Julius Caesar once wrote that “experience is the teacher of all things,” and this quote still rings true today. Hiring an experienced Social Security Disability Lawyer can elevate the chances of your disability claim being approved. From filing the initial application to representing you at the hearing level in front of the judge, a competent attorney can confidently handle your disability claim by drawing on their extensive knowledge based on what has and hasn’t worked in the past.

 

A Social Security Disability Lawyer can:

 

  • Conduct an initial meeting with you- When you contact a disability attorney for the very first time, you will be asked for a convenient date and time for scheduling an initial interview. A thorough and professional disability advocate conducts such a meeting with clients before agreeing to represent the claimant. If you are unable to meet in person because of your disability, then you can communicate with a disability lawyer over the phone. Your disability lawyer will determine whether to represent you after evaluating the severity of your disabling conditions and the possibility of approval. Providing a potential lawyer with the primary facts of your case will also help them deliberate on how to present your case in a way that is appealing to the Social Security Administration.

 

  • Drive Approval on The First Level- An attorney who has years of experience in handling social security disability cases knows all the rules and regulations of disability law. They use their knowledge and expertise to give you the best chances of getting your initial disability claim approved. A professional disability lawyer can ensure that your disability benefits application form is filed and submitted correctly. When filing the disability application form, a lawyer can accurately demonstrate how your condition meets or equals one of the impairments listed in the SSA’s Blue Book and how your disability prevents you from working. They can also communicate with your doctor to gather substantial medical documents, as well as a signed note where the physician clearly outlines the severity of your disabling condition. All these pieces of substantial evidence increase your chances of getting approval for the disability claim.

 

  • Get Approval in an OTR Decision- Your lawyer can help your social security disability benefit claim get approved quickly in an On-The-Record (OTR) decision, even if the initial claim gets denied. If your initial application is denied, your lawyer will write a concise brief that outlines how your disability meets the SSA’s requirements, while highlighting the significant factors for which you deserve to receive disability benefits. Your lawyer will use the information about your disabling conditions that they have obtained from your doctor to increase your chance of winning the case and potentially increase the compensation amount. A disability attorney can also write a proposed decision to ensure that the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) approves and grants you disability benefits. This is how you can skip the year-long wait to get the ALJ’s final decision.

 

  • Drive Claim Approval at the Hearing Stage- If the On-the-Record decision is denied, then your disability case will be sent to an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). A disability attorney can schedule the ALJ hearing date sooner if you are applying for the Supplemental Social Income (SSI) and are in dire need of money. Your lawyer can boost your chances of winning the appeal once the hearing procedure is over, without having to request an appeal to the Appeals Council. An experienced attorney can effectively represent you at the hearing stage in front of the judge, as well as prepare you to answer the potential questions that the judge may ask.

 

Your chances of moving quickly through the disability claim process and eventually winning approval for your case will increase with the help of one of the experienced Disability Lawyers in Philadelphia.  At Chermol & Fishman, LLC we have an excellent team of disability attorneys with years of experience and a great track record of winning disability claims.

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