The Process

My job as a personal injury lawyer is to act on behalf of you to negotiate just compensation for damages sustained from an accident. Simply put, find out who is responsible, and take them to task. It is my responsibility to get you the financial settlement you deserve to include medical expenses, wage loss, reduced earning capacity, pain and suffering, emotional distress and disability. If you have been injured, or lost a loved one, we can provide guidance in your hour of need.

To begin the process, you must first apply for benefits.

To decide whether you are disabled, there is a step-by-step process involving five questions. They are:

1. Are you working?
2. Is your condition "severe"?
3. Is your condition found in the list of disabling conditions?
4. Can you do the work you did previously?
5. Can you do any other type of work

When you apply for either program (SSD or SSI), the Social Security Administration will collect medical and other information from you and make a decision about whether or not you meet Social Security's definition of disability. If your application is denied for:

• Medical reasons, you must complete and submit the required Appeal Request and Appeal Disability Report. We can do this for you, or you can complete on online.
• The disability report asks you for updated information about your medical condition and any treatment, tests or doctor visits since we made our decision.
• Non-medical reasons, you should contact your local Social Security Office to request the review.

If your application is DENIED, you only have a certain amount of time to Appeal the decision so you must act quickly! If you miss the deadline, you may have to start the process all over again-from the beginning!

Upon receiving your Appeal, you will most likely be put on track for a Hearing in front of an Administrative Law Judge. It is at this hearing that an experienced Social Security Attorney will represent your interests and present your case in the most favorable light.