Durham Social Security Disability Insurance Lawyer
If you or a loved one have been hurt or have become recently ill, your time and energy must be devoted to getting better. It is very difficult to deal with an injury or illness while also fighting the government to obtain disability benefits. For most people, that would result in time wasted, time that could be spent focusing on family.
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) was designed to provide a form of supplemental income to individuals who are physically unable to work because of a listed disability, which is usually a physical disability, but not always. The plan is funded by payroll taxes and managed by the United States government. Like most governmental programs, there are seemingly endless hoops to jump through before you can start to receive the benefits that you deserve. If you want to know more about your rights, get in touch with a Durham SSDI lawyer right away. A compassionate injury lawyer can help explain your rights and help you receive necessary benefits.
SSDI Guidelines
Social Security can provide benefits to an individual, a spouse, or other eligible family members with benefits when the claimant retires, becomes disabled, or dies. The Social Security Administration has set strict guidelines to determine who is eligible for benefits.
- First, the claimant must have been an employee, as defined by the Social Security Act
- Second, the employee must have worked for an employer covered by Social Security
- Third, the claimed disability or illness must be the type of claim approved by the Social Security Administration, including fractures, traumatic brain injury, and the transplantation of certain body parts (including many others)
- Fourth, the claimant must be unable to work for a year or more as a result of the disability or illness
This list presents a mere general overview of the SSDI filing process. The application itself is long, confusing, and involved. A Durham SSDI attorney should assist with the preparation of the filing because they can prepare medical evidence, obtain documents needed, review the filing for errors, and frame the claimant’s limitations in a manner that will persuade the reader of the claimant’s disability application. An attorney can also field questions that might arise throughout the filing process.
SSDI Filing Process
Filing a social security disability claim without the assistance of an attorney can become a long and arduous process. The most important goal when filing a claim is obtaining disability benefits in a timely manner. Imagine filing a claim and being denied, even though the claimant honestly believes they are entitled to receive benefits.
Some people who do not have an advocate representing their interests stop right there. But, an SSDI attorney in Durham can help shepherd the claim through various reviews to ensure that it has the best chance at succeeding. Just because the initial claim is denied does not mean that whoever denied the claim has the final word. Rather, there are several reviews that are possible depending upon the circumstances. An attorney can appeal the initial denial and request reconsideration.
A denial at this level may be appealed to a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). A denial by an ALJ can be appealed to the Appeals Council, and then finally to a United States federal court. The appeal hearing may require the testimony of the claimant, which should be strategized with a lawyer beforehand.
Contacting a Durham Social Security Disability Insurance Attorney
If you are curious about your rights and entitlements, contact a Durham SSDI lawyer for more information. If your claim has been denied, do not take “No” for an answer.
Rather, reach out to a knowledgeable attorney who can evaluate your claim and research your options, and remember – do not fight the government alone.
