At Osterhout Berger Disability Law, we’re proud to show you how we can help you with your disability claim with the Social Security Administration. We have a combined experience of over 50 years between all of our attorneys, and we’ve helped thousands of people in Clarion and other areas obtain the benefits that they needed.
Applying For SSD Benefits
When you’re looking for a way to get the benefits that you need from the SSA, you’ll need to start by applying. You can do this one of three ways. The first option is to fill out the application online from the comfort of your own home. This option is something that many people choose because it’s convenient, but the downside is that there won’t be anyone to answer any questions that arise. The second option is to go to your local SSA office to fill it out. The benefit here is that you can ask the workers at the office questions as you’re filling the application out, but you might not like that they’re not really invested in ensuring that you have optimal chances of succeeding in your claim. The third option is to come to us at Osterhout Berger Disability Law. The major benefit of this option is that you have the ability to talk to people who are experienced and are completely invested in helping you maximize the likelihood of being successful with your claim.
Starting the application isn’t that difficult, but there are a lot of pieces of information that you need to provide in order to make your claim successful. Firstly, you’ll need to provide a full list of all of the doctors you’ve seen and the hospitals and clinics you’ve gone to for your condition. This includes a list of your regular doctors and any doctors or hospitals you might have gone to during an emergency that was caused by your condition. You’ll also need to provide a list of your symptoms and how your condition affects your daily live.
While not everyone will be called, there are some people who will be required to go to an extra exam, called a consultative exam. This will be an appointment with a doctor that the SSA chose, and it’s usually to get more information about your condition and to better understand how it affects your life on a daily basis.
Appealing a Denial
There are times when even the best-laid claim is denied, but you can appeal a denial, which is in many people’s best interests. Appealing a denial involves showing that the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) made a mistake when they made a judgement on your original claim. The first denial that you can make is to go before the Appeals Council, which is the only appeal system within the SSA branch. This council will look at your case to determine whether or not there was a mistake in the way that the ALJ carried out judgement on your claim. The second step, if you’re denied at the Appeals Council level, is to go before the federal court. While it’s not common to be successful at this stage, every claim that goes before the federal court is taken very seriously, so you can be certain that you’ll have a fair chance if your appeal goes to this stage.
It’s important to remember that you don’t get the opportunity to present your entire case or bring forth new information if you have to go through an appeal. The purpose of an appeal is to determine whether or not there was a mistake made rather than to determine whether or not you have a condition that makes you eligible for disability benefits. That’s why you won’t usually submit new evidence when you go to appeal the original decision. Usually, you’re trying to show that there was a ruling in the federal court that pertains to your case but wasn’t applied to the ruling for your claim. The only time that you might bring forth new evidence for your case at the appeals stage is if there was something that was added to the Blue Book and you didn’t submit that evidence when you originally made your claim because it wasn’t relevant at that point.
What We Do To Win Your Case
When we take on your case, there are several things that you can expect from us. First of all, you can know that we will fully inform you of the process from the start so that you understand what to expect from the get-go. We’ll also continue to update you as time goes on and will answer any questions that you come up with at any point. You can also be certain that we’ll keep you informed about your individual case by communicating through text, email, mail, and phone call.
We’ll also help you build your case by helping you put together your medical evidence. We make sure that the evidence is submitted to the judge within plenty of time so that it can be counted toward your claim. And because it’s so important that you continue with your medical treatment plan and continue to go to your appointments, we’ll remind you.
The hearing is one of the more nerve-wracking parts of the process for applicants, but we make that process easier by fully preparing you for it. Ahead of time, we’ll ask you the questions that you’re likely to be asked at the hearing so that we can help you prepare answers.
When the time comes for you to go to the hearing, we’ll be there for you. Understanding all of the legal terms and the process is our job, so you never have to worry that you missed out on something because you didn’t understand the terminology or the process.
Finally, if your claim is unsuccessful, you’ll have the opportunity to make an appeal, and we’ll help you decide if this is the best course of action in your case. If it is, we’ll help you start the appeals process right away.
What You’ll Need To Do
When you start the process of making a claim, there are a few things that we need you to do, including returning phone calls, emails, texts, and other forms of communication that we send. There are some things that only you can do, such as giving approval for the release of your medical records. If these things aren’t done in a timely manner, your claim will be stalled. We also want to ensure that you’re always abreast of the latest in your case because we want you to feel involved in the process enough that you’ll know why your claim was either approved or denied. This is also how we can show you that we did everything possible to get a favorable outcome for you.
Additionally, we need you to continue with your medical treatments and appointments. If you fail to take medications, do therapy, or go to medical appointments, you send the message that your condition isn’t as serious as you claim. It’s also possible that it could be interpreted that your condition might improve if you actually did all of the medical treatments that were prescribed to you. It’s very possible to have your claim denied for failure to comply with medical treatments, so it’s always in your best interest to follow your doctor’s plan.
How We Can Help
There are several ways in which the team at Osterhout Berger Disability Law can help you receive the benefit you deserve. We help individuals who need to…
- Apply for Social Security Benefits and want to ensure everything is done right the first time
- Appeal a denial of Social Security Disability Benefits
If you are facing one of these situations, please do not hesitate in reaching out. Our team of experienced attorneys are here to help, and your consultation is free.
