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When Should I Hire a Social Security Disability Attorney?

When Should I Hire a Social Security Disability Attorney?

Experienced Birmingham attorneys provide reliable counsel for SSDI claims

If you are considering a claim for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits, you probably realize you can file on your own without legal representation. The Social Security Administration website allows you to file online quickly and easily. But, please don’t file hastily — SSA rejects almost 70 percent of first-time applications, mostly because of incomplete or imprecise information. If, despite your best efforts on the application, SSA denies your claim, the experienced disability lawyers of Powell & Denny, P.C. are ready to help with your appeal. Deadlines come quickly in the appeal process, so if you’re wondering when you should hire a disability lawyer to manage your appeal, you should do it immediately upon receipt of your decision letter.

Knowledgeable assistance during the application process pays dividends

At Powell & Denny, we’ve been helping applicants for SSDI win approval since 1998. In that time, we’ve seen a wide variety of claims where the problem was not with the qualifying medical condition or the claimant’s financial status. The problem was in the language of the documentation they submitted.

If your claim is denied, you can ask for a reconsideration within 60 days. At this point, it certainly helps to have an attorney’s opinion of what might have gone wrong with your initial application, so you can bolster your application with additional information and evidence before the next reviewer examines your file. We can help you compile the accurate and comprehensive information you must include to win approval, including:

  • Medical history — Your doctor may be knowledgeable about your condition, but may not know how to report the condition so that an SSA reviewer will understand how it fits the agency’s definition of “disability.” In consultation with your doctor, we can help conform your application to SSA standards.
  • Work history — Because the type of work you performed can influence your eligibility for benefits, your application must have sufficient detail so a reviewer understands how your condition prevents you from performing specific job tasks.
  • Educational background — Your educational and vocational training indicate the types of jobs you are qualified to perform. That information can help SSA reviewers understand why a particular condition prevents you from holding gainful employment.

By providing comprehensive information in your file when you request a reconsideration, we can possibly spare you the delays and frustration of the next levels of the appeals process.

Your reconsideration is denied: now you really need a lawyer

If the reconsideration results in another denial, the stakes are raised for the next levels of appeal — and so is the technical difficulty. Preparing for a hearing before an administrative law judge, an Appeals Council review, or a lawsuit in federal district court requires specific knowledge and experience. You can improve your chances of a positive outcome by retaining an experienced disability lawyer.

Cost-effective contingency fees for disability appeals

If you’re holding off hiring an attorney because you think you can’t afford one, you need to understand how fees for Social Security disability appeals work. Instead of paying a retainer, you enter into a contingency fee agreement with your lawyer, who only gets paid a fee if you win your appeal. The law limits the amount the attorney can charge in fees to 25 percent of the unpaid benefits, starting from the time your claim was wrongly denied, to a maximum of $6,000. Your future benefits are 100 percent yours. The contingency fee is a cost-effective arrangement that allows our clients to pursue justice for their claims without heavy out-of-pocket expenses.

Contact our Birmingham lawyers for Social Security disability representation

Since 1998, Powell & Denny, P.C. has helped applicants for SSDI obtain benefits. For knowledgeable assistance at every stage of the process, call 800-227-0882 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation. Our Birmingham office is at 1320 Alford Avenue, just off I-65.

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  • Birmingham Office
    1320 Alford Avenue
    Suite 201
    Birmingham, Alabama 35226
    Phone: 205-978-2051
    Fax: 205-978-2054
  • Huntsville Office
    600 Boulevard South
    SW Suite 104
    Huntsville, Alabama 35802
    Phone: 256-705-3510
    Fax: 256-705-3513

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