Osterhout Berger Disability Law is the place that you should turn to if you ever need to apply for Social Security disability benefits. We have over 50 years of experience among the attorneys on our team, and we’ve helped thousands of people in Forest and surrounding areas obtain the benefits from the SSA that they needed.
Applying for SSD Benefits
It’s challenging to fill out paperwork properly when you have no experience and don’t know who to turn to for help. It’s important that you fill out all of the necessary paperwork thoroughly and accurately, and we can help you understand the process. You can choose to fill out the paperwork online at home, and some people try this option because it’s convenient, but the disadvantage is that you have no one to ask if you don’t understand something in the process. There’s also the option of going to the SSA office in your area to start the process, and you might like that you can talk to people in the office. Unfortunately, even if they understand all of the paperwork, they aren’t invested in helping you put together the best possible claim. A third option is to come to us at Osterhout Berger Disability Law. You’ll like this option because we’re experienced and invested in helping you get the most favorable outcome possible on your claim.
When you’re filling out the paperwork, there are several types of information and evidence that you’ll have to submit. For instance, the SSA will need a full list of all of the doctors that you’ve visited and the medical facilities where you’ve had appointments or gone into the emergency room. You’ll also have to provide a disclosure of your medical history with the evidence that you believe qualifies you for benefits.
There’s also the possibility that you’ll have to go in for a consultative exam, which is an appointment with a doctor of the SSA’s choosing. This appointment is usually used to learn more about your condition and how it affects your ability to work. You might have to do more tests, or the doctor might just ask you some questions. If you’re asked to complete this exam, you must go in order to remain eligible for disability benefits.
Appealing a Denial
There are times when a claim is denied even if the paperwork was filled out completely and correctly. Sometimes, appealing the denial can be in your best interest, but there are several steps that you must take, and there’s no guarantee that you’ll win the denial. First of all, you’ll need to send in the appeal within 65 days of your denial. Secondly, there are a couple of appeal levels, but you have to start with appealing to the Appeals Council, which is the only appeal level within the SSA. The second level is the federal district court.
Some people are denied disability benefits with the SSA for false reasons. For instance, it’s possible to be denied because the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) made a mistake when deciding on your claim. For instance, they might have missed a recent ruling at the district court level that could affect your case. Secondly, there’s a possibility that there are changes to the Blue Book that affect your condition and can change the outcome of your claim.
In most instances, when you make an appeal, your sole goal is to show that the ALJ made a mistake when processing your claim. This is an important point to remember because some people think that the goal during an appeal is to give more evidence that shows that they have the condition and that they can no longer work because of it. The only time that you’ll usually submit more evidence about your case is if there was a change to the Blue Book that involves information that you didn’t submit at the time you made the claim because it wasn’t relevant at that time.
If your appeal is denied at that Appeals Council level, you might be eligible to appeal at the federal district court. It’s not common to win at this level, but the federal district court takes all cases that come before it seriously, so you can be certain that your case will get the attention that it deserves if your case escalates to this level.
What We Do To Win Your Case
As your attorney firm, we at Osterhout Berger Disability Law will do everything that we can to win your claim or appeal. There are several things that we’ll do to ensure that you get the best possible experience and final outcome. Firstly, we’ll help you compile and submit all of the evidence to the SSA. This process can help you build your case. Plus, we’ll make sure that everything is submitted on time so that it all will be taken into consideration.
We also work hard to keep you informed because we understand that it can be confusing, but you need to know what stage of the process your claim or appeal is on. We’ll fully communicate to you about your claim, but we’ll also communicate the overall process to you in the beginning when you’re first making your claim. Furthermore, you can ask us any questions anytime along the way.
Preparing you for the hearing is one of our most important jobs. We understand that going before the judge at your hearing can be intimidating, and you might not know the best way to present yourself in the best light possible. That’s why we go through every question that the judge is likely to ask you, and we’ll help you come up with the answers ahead of time so that you’re never caught unaware. We’ll also explain to you the important points of your case that you should focus on when answering questions.
If you’re concerned that you won’t understand some of the legal terminology that the judge uses, you can feel more confident when you work with us at Osterhout Berger Disability Law because we’ll represent you on the day of your hearing. We’ll also do the questioning for any expert witnesses.
Finally, when you hire us, we’ll start the appeals process for you as soon as we determine that this would be in your best interest. Even well-laid claims can be denied, but we will take the necessary courses of action to ensure that you have the best possible outcome.
What You’ll Need To Do
When you’re applying, there are a few things that you must do so that we can provide you with the best next step. Firstly, if we try to contact you, it’s imperative that you return our communications in a timely manner. There are some things that only you can do, such as signing the paperwork to release your medical records. If you don’t return our phone calls and other forms of communication, we can’t guarantee that everything will be turned into the judge in time.
Secondly, we need you to continue to follow your treatment plan and go to all of your doctor appointments. When you fail to do your treatments or go to your appointments, you send the message that your condition isn’t that serious or that it might get better if you actually did your treatments, which weakens your claim.
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.
