Guiding You Through the SSD Claims Process
If you have applied for Social Security disability benefits and your claim has been denied, you still have options. At the law firm of Don Pilzer, PC, in Greenville, South Carolina, we can help you obtain the benefit you deserve.
The Social Security disability claims process often consists of a three-step process:
- Initial application: At this stage, you will gather existing medical evidence and the Social Security Administration will send you out to be examined by a medical doctor. The vast majority of initial applications are denied.
- Reconsideration: If after first applying for benefits, you receive a denial notice, we will file a Request for Reconsideration on your behalf. However, at this stage, the Social Security Administration may simply update your medical treatment notes and deny your claim again.
- Hearing: This is stage where you actually get to see a judge. The hearing stage is where we win most of our cases.
Our lawyers will take the time to get to know you and your unique situation. We will review your medical records and develop a strategy for presenting your case. If you have not had regular access to medical care, your record may not accurately reflect your history or your level of disability. We often involve medical, psychiatric, and vocational experts to conduct independent medical examinations (IME) for the purposes of disability determination.
Social Security Disability Sequential Evaluation Process
The Social Security Administration uses what's called a sequential evaluation process to determine whether you are disabled:
1. Are you working for pay?
2. Is your condition severe enough to interfere with basic work activities?
3. Is your condition found on Social Security's list of disabling conditions? (These listings are so strict that most disabled people don't meet them. If you don't meet them, we go on to steps four and five.)
4. Can you do the work you did previously? What are your limitations?
5. If you can't do your old job, what other job can you do? If you cannot adjust to other work, your Social Security claim will be approved. It's easier to qualify for benefits after you reach age 50.
Free Attorney Consultation
It costs you nothing to discuss the Social Security disability claims process case with a lawyer at Don Pilzer, PC. To schedule a consultation at our office in Greenville, South Carolina, call 866-918-3534 or complete our contact form.
