When you’re looking for representation for your disability claim with the Social Security Administration, talk to Osterhout Berger Disability Law. We have a team of qualified attorneys. With over 50 years of experience, we have the experience to ensure that your disability claim or appeal is filed properly and that you’re represented fully to give you the best possibility of receiving a favorable outcome.
Applying for Disability Benefits
Starting the application process for disability benefits with the SSA as soon as possible is important, but you need to be even more careful that you complete the application fully and have all of the information filled out correctly. To start the process, you have a few options. Firstly, you can go to the SSA office to fill the paperwork out in person. This option works for people who like to be able to ask questions in person. Another option is to fill the paperwork out online, which is more time-effective than going to the SSA office in your area. A third option is to come to us at Osterhout Berger Disability Law so that we can help you ensure that all of your paperwork is filled out correctly, fully, and on time. While you’re not required to have legal representation when making a claim, it’s often the best option for people who have never been through the process.
When you’re filling out the paperwork, there are a few things that you’ll likely need, including a complete list of all of the doctors that you’ve seen for your condition as well as a list of all of the hospitals and clinics that you’ve been in for your condition. This includes the hospitals and clinics that you regularly go to for your condition and any hospitals that you might have been admitted to for an emergency. The SSA will also need to be able to see all of the information associated with your condition. This includes the diagnosis from the doctor and the tests that back up the diagnosis. You should also provide a complete description of how the condition and the symptoms affect your daily living and ability to work. Finally, you need to tell about any treatments that you’ve received for the condition, including medications, surgery, and therapy, and you should tell about how well these treatments have worked.
Some people will also have to go through a consultative exam. This is an exam that’s done by a doctor that’s chosen by the SSA. The exam will gather more information so that the SSA can have all of the information that it needs to make a decision on your case.
Appealing a Denial
Even with the best legal counsel, it’s still possible to receive an unfavorable decision when you make a claim. If this happens to you, then you should consider going forth with an appeal. This course of action is a good choice for some people who believe that the judge might have made an error, and Osterhout Berger Disability Law can help you with the entire process. One of the first things that you should know is that you have to start the appeals process within 65 days of being denied your claim.
Additionally, the first step of the appeal process is to make your case before the Appeals Council, which is the only appeals court within the SSA. During this phase, your aim is to show that the administrative law judge made a mistake when deciding on your particular case. Some people are initially confused on this point, but you won’t be presenting new information about your condition. The only type of new medical information that might be considered acceptable to present at this stage is medical information that wasn’t available at the time that you originally presented the case. Instead, the aim is to show evidence of a case similar to yours being ruled in favor of the applicant
If you still don’t win your case at the Appeals Council level, you can still take it to the federal court level. During this phase, the federal court will look at your case fully to determine whether or not there’s a reason the original ruling might not be within the rules that are currently laid out for your condition.
What We Do To Win Your Case
When you’re in need of a disability attorney that knows how to win your case, you should call Osterhout Berger Disability Law. We have the skills to put your case under the best possible light, and we have several ways that we do this. For instance, we regularly communicate with our clients via text, email, phone calls, and letters. We will make sure that you always know what’s going on with your case because we never want you to feel unsure.
We also work with you to build a strong case. We can help you figure out which types of information and forms you need to fill out in order to qualify for benefits, and we know when a claim is likely to win.
Getting ready for the hearing can be stressful, and we take the time to ensure that you’re fully prepared. One of the areas that cause people the most stress is their own testimony. Sometimes people don’t know what to say, but we can help you by asking all of the questions that you’re likely to get before the day of your hearing. That way, you can have your questions ready and never feel like you’re caught unaware.
We’ll represent you on the day of your hearing. Lots of technical jargon can be confusing, and if you’ve never been through the process, you might not know how to answer questions. We take care of this all for our clients, letting the people we represent feel that much more comfortable on the day of the hearing.
Finally, even well-prepared clients don’t always receive a favorable outcome, resulting in the need for an appeal. If this happens to you, we’ll make sure that we start on the appeals process as soon as you decide that you would like to go forward with it.
What We Need from You
While we do everything that we can to make the process of applying for SSA disability benefits or appealing a denial as simple on you as possible, there are some things that only you can do. We ask that you stay available to us so that we can communicate with you and get information from you. For instance, you’re the only one who can authorize the release of your medical records to the SSA, so we need you to respond to our messages as soon as possible so that we can turn in all of your information within the necessary time frame.
We also need you to continue with all of your treatment. This will include things like going to all of your doctor’s appointments and therapy sessions, taking your medications, and using assistive devices as needed. We can remind you to continue with your treatment, but it’s important that you do everything because failure to do so can give the impression that your condition isn’t actually that obstructive to your ability to work and live a normal life.
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.
