How Can a Disability Attorney Help You?

A life-changing disability can be stressful, so when it comes to your benefits and legal needs, it’s best to hire a disability attorney. Learn more details right here.

Read on now.

Introduction

Life can be moving along just fine until one accident or illness leaves you disabled and unable to work. It is not that you don’t want to work. But, between handling all that comes with your new injury or illness – such as treatments, doctor appointments, therapy appointments, and more – as well as the financial strain of it all – going to work seems worlds away.

It is tough to accept the fact that you can no longer do the things you once did. Including work.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed, concerned, or you just don’t know what to do next, a disability attorney can help you. And with this expert guidance, you will be able to get the help you need to get the disability benefits that you deserve.

What Are Disability Benefits?

Disability benefits come in the form of  Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability and are two of the main federally-funded programs to help individuals who are facing disabilities. The Social Security Administration (SSA) administers these programs. They offer assistance to those individuals who meet certain criteria. So, what’s the difference?

SSDI is a payment to those who have worked and paid social security taxes for a certain amount of time. These individuals are thought to be insured because of their contribution to taxes. These funds are paid out through the social security program.

SSI is a program for those who have not paid enough benefits and have limited income and resources due to being disabled. They are not eligible for SSDI. These funds are paid out using taxpayer dollars.

Getting Disability Benefits

Regardless of how badly you need them, getting disability benefits can take time. In fact, it could take months or even a year or more to start receiving monthly benefits. Some conditions, such as those that you have hard medical evidence to support or those found on the Compassionate Allowances list, you may get awarded benefits more quickly. An attorney will be able to review your case and give you a better idea of when you may be able to expect benefits – or whether you may have a difficult time getting approved.

If You Have Been Denied Benefits

It is always a good idea to start with a lawyer first. However, if you have already applied for disability benefits and have been denied, an attorney may still be able to help. It is not uncommon at all for the SSA to deny benefits to first-time applicants.

Why the denial?

The SSA can deny benefits for a variety of reasons. Most generally, though, it comes down to incomplete documentation or insufficient medical records. The worst part is that you have to wait to file for an appeals hearing – and that could take as long as a year! That’s no help to you now, though, is it?

Should you find yourself having to file an appeal, hiring an attorney can make this process a bit smoother. Your disability attorney can collect all the correct medical evidence, communicate with your medical team, and get you ready for questioning by the judge. It’s worth mentioning, too, that an experienced attorney can take steps to move your case through the processes faster based on your financial need and condition.

Having an attorney on your side is a great way to make sure everything is complete so that it can be approved the first time it is submitted. But if it comes to a denial and an appeal, your attorney can handle the process for you, communicating with the administrative law judge and guiding you along the way, too.

Benefits of Hiring a Disability Attorney 

Having a disability attorney on your side means you have someone that will help you put together a file of all of your information – including all the right things that need to be in there so that nothing is missed. This is incredibly important since one missed item could cause your application to be denied. In other words, as someone who is experienced in the field, your attorney will know just which medical records to include so that your application has the highest chance of being approved.

Matching your symptoms and such to the diagnosed disability is an important part of getting things right when applying for benefits. These things all have to match up to what the law states allows benefits in order for them to go through. Your attorney will make sure this is all prepared accordingly so that there are no issues once submitted. A lot depends on how a case is presented, making your disability look obvious is important for getting an application pushed through. Understanding the criteria of the Blue Book listing and making sure you meet it is also something your attorney will look at.

Any and all communications with the SSA will be handled through the attorney so you can reduce your level of stress and solely focus on healing.

Although it is all about disability payments, every situation is different – and needs to be handled differently. Following basic instructions online is not going to give you the best chance at a successful application because your case is not like everyone else’s.

Hiring a disability attorney will link you with an experienced professional who will know what to look for, how to handle any legal issues that may arise, and give you the best chance at getting your case approved.

Hire a Disability Attorney Today

Finding yourself in a situation where you need to apply for disability benefits is never part of the plan. However, having an attorney by your side, you have someone who knows how to present your disability in a way that will get you benefits – while also handling all communication about your application.

You may question whether an attorney is a proper route for you when you are financially in need. However, these attorneys work off of contingency (meaning they don’t get paid until you do) and they are one of your best lifelines in getting the help you need.

There is not much that can reduce the stress of a life-changing disability, but hiring a disability attorney surely can.