The success in getting your social security disability (SSD) claims almost always depend on these factors – the agency’s response or action, your initiative, the information you provided and your disability attorney’s efforts.
Reading the article, “Social Security Disability, Medical Records and a Disability Attorney”, posted on January 2008, you will get insights on what’s keeping the granting of claims so long. The article was a blog by a former disability rep who is obviously experienced in the field.
The article identified some of the main reasons why a claim gets denied or delayed. According to the article, applications with complete documents like medical records has better chances of getting the examiner’s attention. On the other hand, documents submitted with incomplete information are likely to be returned or turned down.
Working on your claim without the assistance of a lawyer is a good idea only in the initial stage. Getting the records and submitting them yourself may help speed up your case. But once it gets denied and you reach the hearing stage, you will definitely need the services of a lawyer.
A disability lawyer can help you in a number of ways. Because a lawyer has better connections with people who are involved in the process, he can obtain records faster. Other than that, a lawyer knows where to focus when gathering records.
Ultimately, the best thing a lawyer can do for your claim is to represent you during the reconsideration or appeal hearing where his services are definitely needed.
In sum, these are the factors that help determine the success of one’s claim:
- Social security administration’s response – The time it takes the agency to act on a case almost always depend on the circumstances or issue in the case.
- Your own initiative – The speedy resolution of your case will also depend on your own efforts
- Information – To facilitate the processing of your claim, you need to submit documents with complete information on it
- Legal assistance – Getting the help of a lawyer who has the skills and experience in handling disability claims can definitely help you with your claim
In most cases, an unrepresented claimant has lesser chances of being awarded his benefits because of poor representation in the hearing.
In any case, a good disability lawyer can improve your chances of successfully obtaining your social security benefits.
