How a Lawyer Can Help If You Are Denied Social Security Disability Benefits When sending in their applications for Social Security disability benefits, many people feel hopeful and optimistic at first. After all, SSDI or SSI can mean the difference between having a reliable source of income to tide you over while you recover, or not being able to pay for the basic necessities of life because your disability prevents you from working.
Unfortunately, this optimism ends in disappointment more often than not – 67% of initial disability claims are denied by the SSA, which can strike a devastating blow to your hopes for the future. However, it’s important to remember in cases like this that there are still ways you can proceed in order to get the support you deserve – and attorneys are there to make sure that you do not lose hope. There are several ways that a lawyer can help if you are denied Social Security disability benefits, starting with filing an immediate Request for Reconsideration to have your case reviewed again by a different SSA agent, which may result in a different outcome. Moreover, an attorney will not just utilize the same strategies used before, but will work to understand why your application was initially denied so that you can craft a more convincing case.
If your initial appeal is denied, an attorney will help move the process forward by requesting a hearing before a judge, who will then make a decision after hearing arguments from your lawyer on the merits of your claim. It will be up to your attorney to collect evidence and argue your case in court, which can prove invaluable when you don’t have knowledge of the legal system, or don’t have the time or energy to deal with the evidence and documentation process. Finally, your lawyer will continue to fight for you at all levels of the appeals process, which escalates to a Court of Appeals if you believe that the decision made in your court hearing was unjust. If this does not work and you have a strong enough case to prove that you were discriminated against in some way when the decision was made, your attorney can file a lawsuit against the SSA in federal court, which is extreme but may end up being the step you need to take. Article source: http://linerlegal.com/lawyer-can-help-denied-social-security-disability-benefits/