Pennsylvania Lawyers Appealing Social Security Disability and Income Benefit Denials
If you filed for Social Security disability or Supplemental Security Income benefits and your claim was denied, you are certainly not the only one. In fact, the Social Security Administration (SSA) denies over two-thirds of applications for disability benefits at the initial level. When faced with a denied claim, your option is to file an appeal and request a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). Our attorneys can help you file and litigate your appeal. We are dedicated to preparing and presenting the best possible case to overturn the denial and get you the benefits you deserve.
At Prince Law Offices, P.C., we represent disabled clients from across Pennsylvania whose initial SSD applications were turned away. People come to us frustrated with the bureaucracy. Our role as Pennsylvania denied SSD attorneys is to help relieve that frustration by dealing with the SSA and getting benefits as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Why Are Initial SSD and SSI Applications Denied?
There are many potential reasons why the SSA denies the initial application for SSD or SSI benefits. Commonly, the Notice of Disapproved Claim letter states that the medical evidence was insufficient or, despite recognizing some degree of impairment, the SSA states you can still work in some capacity. The determination can rely on the opinions of medical or psychological consultants who are not your treating doctors and have examined you only one time. We can appeal these denials and prepare your case for review by an ALJ. We will work directly with your treating medical providers whenever possible and organize the evidence necessary to prove your disability claim.
Understanding the Social Security Disability and SSI Appeals Process
Following the initial denial of an application for SSD or SSI benefits, you may begin the appeals process within 60 days of the date of the denial. Primarily, there are three stages of review:
- Initial appeal and request for hearing: Following your receipt of the Notice of Disapproved Claim, you may appeal the decision within 60 days of the date noted on the decision. When appealing, it is important to specifically request your case be reviewed by an ALJ. We can help you complete the request for appeal and start preparation for your hearing. Generally, hearings are scheduled between 9 and 14 months from the date the appeal is filed. Nevertheless, we do our best to speed up this process whenever possible.
- Appeals Council: If the ALJ denies your claim, the next step is to determine whether there are viable issues to appeal to the Appeals Council. Not every decision contains issues that can be appealed at this level. Our job is to evaluate an ALJ’s decision to find proper issues for appeal and pursue them to the best of our abilities.
- Federal court: In a very limited number of situations, your case may qualify for an appeal to the federal district court following the Appeals Council’s decision. At this level, our attorneys work diligently to pursue and prosecute your appellate issues.
You should also know that, during the appeals process, our attorneys will be using the latest technology to get your medical evidence before the SSA and ALJ as quickly as possible. In many cases, providing the proper evidence before a hearing can result in the initial denial being overturned by the SSA or ALJ prior to the actual hearing. We will do our best to secure your benefits as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Contact an SSD Denial Lawyer for a Free Consultation
The team at Prince Law Offices, P.C., is ready to evaluate your Social Security case. Call 610-845-3803 or toll free 888-313-0416. You can also contact our law firm online.
Your initial consultation is free of charge.