Fairfield CA SSDI Attorney
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How Do I Prove My Disability?
Fairfield CA SSDI Lawyer
It can be upsetting and frustrating to have to adapt your life to handle the demands of a disability, especially if that disability is causing you to lose out on exciting or necessary employment opportunities. If you are unable to work because of a newfound disability or medical situation, you may be able to apply for Social Security disability insurance, which is also known as SSDI. These benefits can be very helpful.
What Can a Fairfield SSDI Attorney Do to Help You?
It can be intimidating and difficult to pursue any kind of legal situation on your own without the aid of an experienced law firm providing you with assistance and answers to lingering questions. Our legal team can walk you through the process and carefully explain how it all works by answering all your questions along the way. After all, you will want to fill out a strong application that gives you the most effective chance of being approved for SSDI benefits. Contact a Fairfield, CA, SSDI attorney to learn more.
Many initial applications are turned down simply because they were filled out incorrectly or they were missing certain vital information. Some applicants are likely unaware of the exact information that the Social Security Administration (SSA) is looking for in their application. This lack of knowledge can seriously impede your application process and even cause you to lose out on the opportunity to collect SSDI benefits altogether.
Throughout this process, you may also be dealing with significant life changes that should be your top priority. Learning you have a disability and having to adjust your life accordingly can be an overwhelming and personally challenging life event. These changes could affect your mental and physical health in alarming and powerful ways. The last thing you should be worrying about on top of everything else is whether or not you correctly filled out an application.
An experienced SSDI attorney can help you conquer these legal questions and the considerable amount of paperwork. Whatever your concerns about the application process, the amount you may receive in benefits, and what the SSA is looking for can be brought to our legal team and answered promptly by an experienced attorney. Here are just a handful of the ways that an experienced SSDI attorney can help your situation and provide you with stress-free assistance:
Application Assistance: Filling out the SSDI application can be a confusing and time-consuming process if you try to do it yourself without the assistance of someone who knows what they’re doing. You may have to consider certain details of your life in ways you haven’t done before. The legal team at Gade & Parekh, LLP can help you by taking over the application process on your behalf.
Our experienced legal team can research your medical history, gather the necessary records, and do what we can to make sure you don’t miss any crucial deadlines. That way, you can focus entirely on your recovery and adjusting to your new normal, which can be a full-time process all on its own. It can divide your focus to devote your time to multiple things that are so important to your life. Allow us to offer our assistance.
Sharing Knowledge: Applying for SSDI benefits is not an easy task, and doing so without knowing what your application should look like can end up being a colossal waste of time if your application gets rejected. Understanding the legal ramifications and important terminology can start to feel staggering. Our legal team understands the ins and outs of SSDI benefit applications.
We can share with you our extensive knowledge of how the SSA operates and what they look for specifically in an application for SSDI benefits. When we begin working on your application, we’ll be able to apply our knowledge to your case and ensure that the SSA’s specific criteria are present, which can help ensure that your benefits are not denied.
Reviewing Your Case: Before your SSDI lawyer is able to provide insights into your case, they must first understand your case and become familiar with your situation. Your lawyer takes a look at your medical records, your history with your disability, why you’re unable to work, and any previous applications you may have filled out in the past.
If you have sent out previous applications and had your benefits denied, you may have been given a denial letter by the SSA. Be sure to bring any denial letters to your lawyer so they can review them and determine what exactly was so wrong with your application that it was denied. Once your lawyer determines that, they can start building your appeal to ensure your fight for SSDI benefits is continued.
Preparing for Hearings: The majority of applicants won’t receive their SSDI benefits until after they attend a formal hearing. Throughout this hearing, your application will be combed through by a judge who will ask you to explain the nature of your disability and why it impedes you from maintaining steady employment. Then, the judge will reach a decision about your SSDI benefits. Your lawyer will be by your side throughout this
Your hearing will look and feel like a trial, and in many ways, it is. The SSA will use this trial to determine whether or not you should be given SSDI benefits. Your lawyer will be there with the goal of arguing in favor of your benefits. Ultimately, this hearing may feel like a trial, but nobody is actually on trial. You just have to state your case for SSDI benefits.
Assessing Criteria: Your lawyer will have to determine the most effective way to argue for your SSDI benefits after thoroughly reviewing your case. To do this, your lawyer will need to figure out which of three possible theories applies to your case. Determining the theory will help your lawyer determine how you will qualify for SSDI benefits. The theory your lawyer chooses will likely be the driving force of your case in the hearing.
These theories are valid reasons why you would be seeking SSDI benefits under the established SSA guidelines. These theories include:
- Your condition fits one of the disabilities that are posted under the Social Security disability listings on the SSA website.
- Your condition fits under the grid system provided by the SSA.
- Your disability is not listed on the disability listings or the grid system, but it still prevents you from performing sedentary work.
Social Security Disability Listings
The Social Security Administration provides an extensive list of the many impairments and medical disabilities that are considered a qualifying condition for SSDI benefits. If you have any of these conditions, you may automatically qualify for SSDI benefits. There is a considerable range of disabilities on this list, as well as the specific criteria that you will have to meet in order to have your condition considered by the SSA.
When you fill out the application for SSDI benefits, you will need to explain your disability in extensive detail. The SSA will determine if your condition is on the disability listings page, match your symptoms to one of the conditions on the list, and ultimately determine whether your condition qualifies under their criteria. If your condition isn’t on the list or you don’t meet the basis for SSDI benefits, the SSA may attempt to deny your application.
Even if your condition is not on the list, your lawyer may still be able to make a strong case for your impairment. Your lawyer will look through the list and attempt to make the same determination that the SSA did. That way, you and your lawyer will be better prepared for the hearing, which can be tougher if your condition is not on the list.
Throughout this part of the process, your lawyer will need to understand your condition better as fully as they can. They may need your medical records. In addition, you may need to see a medical professional for an official diagnosis if you haven’t already, as well as undergo certain medical tests to determine the degree of your disability and whether it has worsened over time.
The Social Security Grid System
If your condition is not on the listings page, it may be in the grid system. The grid is a secondary listings page that the SSA may use to determine the extent of your disability. The grid takes into account your age, your education, your job skills, your work experience, and your residential functional capacity (RFC) level. The grid may be used to determine the degree of your disability, how it affects your daily health, and how it prevents you from working.
Sedentary Work
If your disability is not on the list or on the grid, your Fairfield lawyer can still attempt to argue that it prevents you from working and even doing sedentary work. In order to prove this, your lawyer will need to gather evidence such as your medical history, expert witness opinions, and your own sworn testimony. If you are able to prove that your disability keeps you from working, there is a decent chance that your application may be approved. F
Contact an SSDI Attorney Today
Dealing with the aftermath of a disability can be frustrating, and having to handle a complex benefits application can just make it harder. The legal team at Gade & Parekh, LLP can help you develop your case and work to receive your benefits. Contact us to speak with a team member and schedule a consultation today.
