Oklahoma Social Security Disability Attorneys

If you are injured or disabled and can no longer work, you may be eligible for Social Security Disability or Supplemental Security Income benefits. Get started by contacting an Oklahoma social security attorney with a comprehensive understanding of the system, because obtaining benefits can be difficult.

We Can Help You Get the Benefits You Deserve

Social Security Disability benefits, commonly abbreviated as SSD or SSDI, are available to workers who have worked for a certain period of time and have suffered physical or mental impairments severe enough to prevent them from engaging in their normal occupations or any other work.

SSI is a similar program, but benefits are available to people with low income, or who are 65 and older. Call the Law Offices of Dan Davis today for legal guidance from one of our Oklahoma City injury lawyers. An experienced Oklahoma City Social Security Disability attorney can help you avoid common application mistakes to prevent a denied SSD or SSI claim.

Disabilities and Medical Conditions That Qualify for SSDI

Conditions like blindness are commonly recognized as a type of disability that qualifies you for benefits. Remember, each case is evaluated individually. In all cases, certain standards must be met, including one that states that you have been unable to work for at least 12 months due to the condition.

Disabilities and medical conditions that commonly lead to SSD benefits include:

  • Blindness
  • Crohn’s Disease
  • Chronic Pain Syndrome
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Heart Disease
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Paralysis
  • Reflex sympathetic Dystrophy
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Stroke
  • Severed limbs

SSDI Claim Denials

The SSDI application and appeals process can be frustrating to people who go it alone. It’s very common for a Social Security Disability claim to be denied. The Social Security Administration receives more than 2.5 million applications each year and denies benefits for most of the initial applicants.

If your claim was denied, don’t give up.

A lawyer who knows the system can help you prepare your Social Security Disability claim by gathering essential documents and records and sticking to deadlines. Most people have no idea how to thoroughly prepare for an SSDI hearing. This is one of the reasons why hiring an attorney makes sense. You may also gain a better sense of what types of benefits, and in what amount, you qualify.

Common Reasons For Claim Denials

The longer you wait to file your disability claim, the less likely your claim will be accepted. Some people who are disabled are awarded benefits, only to have them terminated prematurely. Among the reasons short or long-term disability benefits are canceled include determinations by the agency that:

  •  You have fully recovered
  • Your injury was not as serious as you claim
  • Your injury was not diagnosed accurately
  • The “typical” period of recovery has ended, so you should be well
  • Even though you may not be fully recovered, you can go back to work

Application Mistakes You Should Avoid

Our experience and nationwide statistics show us that claimants who are not represented at their hearing before the administrative law judge (ALJ) are denied twice as often as those who are represented. Before engaging in the appeal/hearing process, hire an Oklahoma City Social Security lawyer so that you can avoid common application mistakes when filing for Social Security Disability benefits.

Common Social Security Disability application mistakes include:

  • Medical evidence not documented appropriately
  • Doctor’s report is not consistent with Social Security regulations defining disability
  • Inability to work or loss of vocational aptitude not documented appropriately
  • Forms not filled out properly or completely, or within the deadline
  • Forms and other documentation not filed at the appropriate office

Why Should You Hire a Social Security Disability Lawyer?

An attorney knows how to avoid application mistakes so that benefits may be awarded more promptly, without the delay of the Reconsideration or Hearing processes. Should the application process reach the hearing stage, you should give your attorney enough time to properly prepare for the hearing.

To support your claim, an attorney may undertake the following steps:

  • Gather medical evidence to establish the severity of your injury or condition
  • Protect your right to a fair hearing by objecting to improper evidence and procedures
  • Obtain a report from your doctor consistent with Social Security regulations
  • Assess any written questions from the ALJ about requesting an additional medical opinion
  • Send you to a vocational expert to determine your ability to work
  • Obtain documents from your file and review any actions taken by the SSA
  • Request subpoenas to ensure the presence of crucial witnesses at your hearing
  • Cross-examine Social Security Administration witnesses at your hearing
  • If you win, make sure the Social Security Administration correctly calculates your benefits
  • If you lose, request a review of the Hearing Decision by the SSA Appeals Council

Contact An Oklahoma Social Security Disability Lawyer Today

Claimants not represented at their administrative law judge hearing are denied two times more often than those who are represented by legal counsel. For this reason, we encourage you to get in touch with an Oklahoma SSD lawyer at the Law Offices of Dan Davis today. Call (405) 930-4210 today.