Although there are many laws, rules and regulations that guide the Social Security disability benefits process, there is no stipulation that you need to have a lawyer to assist with the process. Having said this it must also be said that it is often in the applicant’s best interests to hire a disability lawyer in Oak Ridge. There are two distinctly different benefits packages that are available; Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income and both have their own unique and complex set of laws and rules.
Although a disability lawyer cannot guarantee that your application will be approved when first submitted, he or she can certainly increase your odds of winning your claim which of course results in an early onset date for benefits. Although a claimant can hire a lawyer at any stage of the process the majority of people tend to wait until they are advised what the status of their first application is. In the greatest majority of cases the first application is denied, that is when applicants turn to a disability lawyer.
Hiring a lawyer when you appeal the claim:
In the event your claim is among the 75 percent that are denied benefits you can move on to the appeals process which starts with a request for reconsideration. It is at this time that may applicants hire a lawyer with specific knowledge of Social Security. If the application is once again denied, and it most often is, the process goes in front of an administrative law judge.
Those applicants that are represented by a disability lawyer in Oak Ridge are twice as likely to be approved at this stage as those who are not represented. Before the hearing the lawyer will:
* Obtain all necessary medical records
* Obtain the opinions of your medical practitioners
* Prepare you to answer questions that can be expected from the ALJ
Because a seasoned disability lawyer will have been in the presence of the judge in the past, he or she knows what to expect and can adjust their approach accordingly.
Hiring a disability lawyer in Oak Ridge can increase your chances considerably of gaining approval for benefits. You are welcome to contact the Law Offices of Miller & Drozdowski, P.C. for a free review of your case. Like us on Google+.
