social security disability - social security
disability lawyer - supplemental security income - social security disability benefits
This is the ultimate Social
Security Disability web site.
The purpose of this site is to provide free SSDI and
SSI information. I provide information all in one place that you will have a hard time finding on the Internet
anywhere. This site should help those who are contemplating applying for Social Security Disability or Supplemental
Security Income and those individuals who have already applied for Social Security Disability benefits, no matter
what stage they are at in the process. The information in this site should be used as a helpful guide to the Social Security Disability process. It will also provide information on how to win your disability claim. If you have any questions that are
not answered in this site or want a free consultation feel free to e-mail me. I will try to answer any questions you might have about Social Security Disability (SSDI) or Supplemental Security
Income (SSI). This site is the best place to go for free Social Security Disability information. If you read
this site you will know how to apply for disability benefits and how to win SSDI (SSD) and SSI. In addition
to this site, available to you are other sites which can further help you in your claim for benefits.
Websites are
a dime a dozen and we caution you to be careful when choosing which ones to utilize. There are many web sites out there that
are very good. We caution you to be careful of websites where the identity of the firm or author is hidden.
They are solely to generate clients. They offer only enough information to confuse you or convince you that you need
a lawyer. Other sites are constructed by individuals who have never handled a Social Security Disability claim
nor ever intend to. They are marketing people who are looking to sell leads to lawyers. In fact, there are some
websites out there using titles similar to mine don't be fooled. Here you will find Social Security Disability
information, answers and advice on how to apply, am i disabled, how to appeal and how to win SSD, SSDI, and SSI.
I do not hide who I am on this site and I will try to answer any questions you may have but I will
not pressure anyone to retain me as their lawyer. My sincere hope is that the information in this disability guide is
helpful to anyone seeking disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA). I will try to update
the information in this site as often as possible including an almost daily blog. In addition to the Blog on this site
please visit my other Social Security disability Blog for more SSDI and SSI tips. So be sure to bookmark this site for the latest news. This is a free disability
guide and will help with Social Security Disability and Supplemental Security claims. Please note that it is my
intention to provide accurate and up to date information on this site and I make great effort to do this. However, the
information on this site is not guaranteed and no lawyer client relationship exist. This site is not a substitute for
consultation with a lawyer.
How to Use this site. If you are new to
the process of Social Security Disability I recommend you start be reading the disability process. This page will give you an overview of how your claim is processed and what procedural steps you have to take.
To understand how SSA determines if you are disabled you should read the page "am I disabled?". After you read this page you should follow the different links to get a better understanding of what it
takes to prove your disability. I also strongly suggest you read "how to win" and "key to SSDI and SSI". There is a lot more information on this site but this should give you a good starting point to help your claim.
I provide this free information on Social Security Disability and Supplemental Security
Income so that everyone who is disabled has the tools they need to win disability. If you need tips on how to win
your SSDI or SSI claim continue to read this site and bookmark it so you can come back and use it as a reference while you
take on the Social Security Disability process.
Here is what one person had to say about my website "Thanks for the site, absolutely a "Bible"
for all who have fear, doubt or lack of knowledge." Christopher. To see what other have said
about this website read the website testimonials on the page called "Best Social Security Disability Website".
If you need a lawyer for your Social Security Disability or SSI claim or just want to ask a few questions you can also
call me at 1-877-527-5529 and ask for Karl. Or you can click on the following link and fill out the
form if you prefer a local lawyer note that on form.
Whether you are represented by an attorney or not take it upon yourself to learn as
much about the Social Security disability process as you can. You have already taken the initiative by researching on-line and reading this site.
I also recommend that you visit the Social Security Administration's web site. It is a bit confusing but can be
a great resource for your claim for benefits.
If you choose to get your benefits without an attorney, this guide will help you learn the process used to determine if one
is disabled. This is not a complete site about Social Security and should not be considered legal advice.
You should also use the SSA's website in conjunction with this site. This will increase your chances of giving your
case the best chance to win your benefits. Remember the law in these cases is confusing and convoluted.
Statistics show that those claimants that are represented by an attorney are more likely
to win their claim for benefits than those who are not. In my opinion, the reason for this is because the lawyers
that handle Social Security Disability claims have a better understanding of how the Social Security Administration decides your case and they develop your case accordingly.
Remember this web site
is my attempt to give you the tools you need to win your SSDI or SSI benefits with or without a lawyer. If you decide you need a lawyer for your disability case or just want/need
to ask some questions, feel free to contact me. I also offer a free case evaluation for Social Security Disability and Supplemental
Security Income.
This site is full of free information and practical advice
on Social Security Disability. If you study this site you can learn the following: How to apply for Social Security Disability. What is the process by which SSA determines if you are disabled. How to win SSDI or SSI. What are the GRID rules? What you can expect and how to handle a Social Security Disability hearing. What are the medical listing of impairments? Do I need a lawyer for my disability claim. The definitions of common terms used. Helpful tips to help win your disability claim. What are Residual Functional Capacity (RFC) forms and why are they so important? What does your past work have to do with disability? What is
child's SSI? How to win Child's SSI. What is the difference between Social Security Disability and
SSI? What are the most important things to know and do when trying to get benefits. Are you disabled? What is an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) and what is his or her role in the process? What is the Appeals
Council? What can you do to help your Social Security Disability or SSI claim. How to get Social Security Disability
and SSI.
I wish you good luck with your claim and further encourage you
to finish reading this site.
One of the biggest mistakes people applying for Social Security disability make is assuming they will win their disability
claim because they are "clearly" disabled. The second biggest mistake people applying for Social Security disability
make is assuming everyone loses the first time around. I will address both of these in turn. You may know you are disabled
and everybody in your family and who knows you may also know that you are disabled. What you can't lose sight of is the fact
that you still have to prove you are disabled to the Social Security Administration to win your benefits. I am telling you
this so that you do not neglect making sure you do everything you can to win right from the start. This means you must understand
how Social Security determines if you are disabled. You must also make sure all your medical records are received by Social
Security, and not rely on them to get these records. You must also make sure you get opinion evidence from your doctors. Lastly,
get a lawyer for your claim if you are not absolutely sure you are capable of doing the above on your own. Now, I will address
what I called the second biggest mistake. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard from people that "the application
doesn't matter because everybody loses the first time around." This is not true. If you have this attitude you are assuring
yourself of a negative outcome. You must look at the application as your first opportunity to win your claim. Remember, if
you win at application you will receive your benefits quicker and you will not have to go through the difficult process of
testifying at a hearing. To give yourself the best chance to win you must understand the law have all your medical evidence
and get a lawyer if necessary. Anyone applying for SSDI or SSI benefits should not assume they will win or lose at this stage
in fact you should only be concerned with one thing. What can I do to give myself the best chance to win. You cannot control
who makes decision on your case or what Social Security does, but you can control your end of the process. This way when you
receive your denial or approval you will know that you did everything you can and have no regrets. If you are approved you
will have the satisfaction that your time and effort has paid off. If you lose you should take it as an opportunity to figure
out what else you can do to improve your claim to get approved at the next level.
If you have been waiting a long time for your Social Security disability hearing and you are hoping to have your hearing scheduled
in August you may be disappointed. I have no official stats to prove this is true but I found in my practice that August tends
to be one of the slower months when it comes to the scheduling of SSD and SSI hearings. I think this is probably because most
ALJ's and much of the staff probably take their summer vacations in this month just like everybody else. This may also mean
it may take longer to get a decision if you have a hearing in July or August. I hope for the sake of all those waiting for
hearing that this is not the case and just coincidence in my practice but the trend also makes a lot of sense when you think
about it. I have been doing a lot of traveling lately due to having out-of-state Social Security and VA disability hearings.
So if you have sent me an e-mail recently and have not received a response I am catching up on them as quickly as possible.
Because of all my traveling recently I have not been able to write as much as I would like on my disability websites and blogs
but I plan to pick up the pace in the next couple of weeks and in August when my hearing schedule is lighter. I am also meeting
other Social Security disability specialists who were also certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy later this month
which perhaps will provide me with some new interesting material to share with you. I hope you are all enjoying your
summer and that your summer is made better by favorable decisions in your claims.
You received your Social Security disability hearing date. Now what?
If you have recently received your hearing date letter notifying you of the date and time of your Social Security disability
hearing you probably only have a month or two to make sure your file is complete. With this letter you should receive a copy
of your file on CD. If you did not recieve your file there should be instructions on how you can get your file. You should
review your file as soon as possible. This way, you can determine if all of the evidence you need to prove your case is in
the Social Security file. You will want to make sure all of your hospital records, treatment records, and opinion evidence
from your doctors are in the file. It is extremely important that you make sure you have opinion evidence from your doctors.
There are a couple of types of opinion evidence that is valuable in a Social Security disability claim. One, is a detailed
report from your doctor explaining your medical condition, your treatment and limitations you have from your medical conditions.
The second type of opinion evidence is what is referred to as an RFC form. These are forms designed to help your docotr know
what limitations are important in a Social Security disability claim and to get their opinion on what your limitations are
in those areas. When you get your file you will also want to look to see what the Social Security doctors have said about
your condition and limitations. You have waited a long time to get this hearing so make sure you do everything you can to
win at this stage. This includes, getting a lawyer if necessary. You may strongly want to consider getting a lawyer if you
are not 100% sure what you have to prove to win your case or if you have the evidence to do it. You may also want to consider
getting a lawyer if your hearing letter states that a vocational expert and or medical expert will also be at the hearing.
Hearings that include medical and vocational experts can be significantly more complex than hearings without them. Depending
on their testimony you may have to cross examine these experts. This is not an easy task, especially if you have no experience
in cross examination and or you do not understand entirely the purpose of these experts, and what their role is in the hearing.
I would also like to take this opportunity to wish you all a happy Fourth of July weekend.
We have attempted to provide up to date and accurate information, however the information in this site is not guaranteed.
No attorney client relationship exist. The information in this site is not a substitute for consultation with a qualified
attorney.
for
information on social security disability or if you need a social security disability lawyer to assist you with supplemental security income
or social security disability benefits then we are your primary source
