How To Win a Disability Appeal
The single best thing you can do to help increase your chances of winning an appeal for disability benefits is hiring an experienced Columbia disability lawyer. Statistics show that disability claimants who seek legal representation are more likely to be awarded benefits than those who try to handle their own appeals. Social Security law can be complex, and it’s important that you have someone to help you who knows the ins and outs of the system. Here are some tips to help your chances of being awarded Tennessee disability benefits on appeal.
Appeal. The biggest mistake that Columbia Social Security disability claimants make is failing to appeal their denial in the first place. Although most claimants are denied at the earliest stage, a majority of those who appeal through at least the hearing stage are eventually awarded benefits. The main reason for this is that when the Social Security Administration is considering your initial application, they just don’t have much to go on, other than your medical records (which may be lacking key pieces of evidence, like your treating doctor’s opinion about your ability to work). When you show up in person at your hearing, the administrative law judge will have the opportunity to question you directly, and to hear about the ways in which your disability affects your daily activities.
Obtain medical opinions. Your Columbia disability lawyer will analyze the specific facts of your case and develop a plan for what you need to prove to show that you are disabled and how to prove it. Often, this proof will benefit from your treating doctor’s written responses to questions posed by your attorney. Your treating doctor, unlike the medical examiners hired by the Social Security Administration, is in a unique position to evaluate your overall health. He or she will know your symptoms and how they react to treatment. Your treating doctor can use this information to formulate an opinion on how your symptoms affect your ability to work full-time at a regular job. If it will help your case to have this information, your Nashville disability lawyer will send a questionnaire to your doctor to obtain his or her opinion.
Assistance With Your Appeal Is Available
If you have been denied Social Security disability benefits and you want an experienced Columbia disability lawyer to help with your appeal, please fill out the contact form below or, to get in touch with me to schedule a free consultation, contact:
Susan D. Clasbey
Columbia Tennessee disability lawyer
1105 South Main Street
Columbia, Tennessee 38401
Phone: 931-388-7705
Toll-free: 888-545-2582