How Can Our Lancaster PA Disability Lawyers Help Your Claim Succeed in the Social Security Disability Appeal Process?

When you need help with your Social Security Disability SSDI or SSI Claim or have been denied Social Security Disability Benefits, talk for free with one of our top PA Disability Lawyers, Social Security attorneys in Lancaster who specialize in workplace compensation and disability benefits, about how to file your Social Security Appeal.

What you need to know: Initial claims for Social Security Disability (SSD or SSDI) usually take three to five months to process after you have shared information about your qualifying disability or disabilities; therefore, you should apply as soon as you become disabled. This way you can receive your benefits as early as possible. An individual can file an initial claim at https://secure.ssa.gov/iClaim/dib.

The Social Security Administration reviews reports from all of the doctors, therapists, hospitals, and rehabilitation clinics where you have received treatment and care. You must provide documentation about your medications and disabilities so that Social Security can evaluate all of your evidence, illnesses, and limitations when it makes its disability benefits decision. Social Security examines the result of all impairments in totality that prevent you from working part or full time.

If your initial SSD claim is denied, you have the right to appeal it.

If your initial claim for Social Security Disability benefits has been denied, our disability benefits lawyers may be able to help you within those 60 days to file an SSDI appeal with the Social Security Administration (SSA). The first step of the appeal process is called a request for reconsideration.

An appeal must be made within 60 days of the day you received a letter indicating your denial for benefits. Many states have four levels of appeal, but Pennsylvania typically only uses three of the four. The first level of appeal is a reconsideration; however, Pennsylvania will often skip this step and go straight to a hearing by an administrative law judge (ALJ). A hearing before an ALJ is either done in-person or by video. The ALJ will also have played no part in the initial determination and will provide you with the date and place of your hearing. At the hearing, you will be permitted to testify about your condition and you will also be permitted to have witnesses. A medical expert or vocational expert will often be at the hearing as well and you or your attorney will be allowed to question the expert.

In the event that you are denied after the hearing, you may appeal your denial to the Appeals Council. While the Appeals Council will review all cases in which an appeal was requested, it may deny a request for appeal if it is in agreement with the ALJ. After review, the Appeals Council has the option to make a decision on your case or send it back down to an ALJ for further review. If the Appeals Council also denies your claim, you may then file a suit in Federal District Court.

If you have been denied benefits at the initial level and are thinking about appealing, contact us for a free consultation; there is limited time to exercise your appeal so it is important not to hesitate. At Rankin & Gregory, we provide our clients with zealous representation and we will not take a fee unless you receive a favorable outcome.

Call our Lancaster or Leola – Leacock area Social Security Disability Benefits attorneys at 717.656.5000

Rankin & Gregory, LLC, RG Injury Law fights for fair compensation for clients injured in car accidents, personal injury accidents, and Workers’ Compensation workplace incidents, slip and fall accidents, wrongful death cases, veterans disability appeals and social security disability claims throughout Pennsylvania, including our beautiful hometown of Lancaster County.