Social Security Disability Insurance is meant to support people who can no longer work because of a serious medical condition. Getting approved is another matter. Most first applications are denied, often because the file does not have enough medical evidence or does not clearly show how the condition limits what you can do.
If you get a denial letter, you generally have 60 days to ask for reconsideration. Reconsideration is a required step before you can ask for a hearing before a judge, and missing the deadline can mean starting over. Call us as soon as the letter arrives.
How we help with your claim
- Requesting reconsideration within the 60-day deadline
- Listing every doctor, clinic and hospital that has treated you
- Gathering new and updated medical evidence
- Documenting your physical and mental limitations
- Pinning down the dates your condition began and worsened
- Preparing you to testify at a hearing
- Asking Social Security to expedite cases of dire need
- Appealing unfavorable hearing decisions
What Social Security needs to see
To qualify, you must show that a medical condition keeps you from doing substantial gainful work, and that the condition has lasted or is expected to last at least a year or result in death. Social Security looks at more than your last job. It asks whether you can do any work, considering your age, education and work history.
That is why details matter. We make sure your file lists every provider who has treated you, includes current records, and describes your limitations in specific terms: how long you can sit, stand or walk, what you can lift, and how your condition affects concentration and attendance. We also document the dates, because when your disability began affects how much back pay you may receive.
The wait for a hearing
If reconsideration is denied, the next step is a hearing before an administrative law judge. The wait for a hearing can be long, and some cases take up to around two years from the first application. That is hard on families who are already short on income.
In dire situations, such as when someone cannot afford food, medicine or housing, or has a terminal illness, we can ask Social Security to expedite the case. We will tell you honestly whether your situation is likely to qualify.
How attorney fees work
Fees in Social Security disability cases are set by federal law and must be approved by Social Security. In most cases the fee is a percentage of your past-due benefits, generally 25 percent, subject to a cap. If you do not receive back benefits, you do not owe an attorney fee. Your first consultation is free.
