If your application for Social Security benefits is denied, then you may be entitled to file an appeal. However, the appeals process is often more complex than the initial application. In this video, attorney Jason Weaver explains how a Lafayette Social Security Disability attorney may be able to help you appeal a Social Security denial and give you a better chance of success.
Video Transcription
I would not recommend a claimant go before an administrative law judge without a lawyer. As a matter of fact, if you do go before the administrative law judge without a lawyer, they are required to advise you of the possibility, and the advisability, really, of having a lawyer present, to present your case. But it’s not recommended. A lawyer will number one know the law. What it means to be disabled, to be declared disabled, under the rules of associate administration, is a question of law. A lot of folks, well my doctor said I can’t work. And so why am I not disabled? Well, it’s not up to your doctor, it is up to the administrative law judge. There’s actually a five-step process, by what it means to be declared disabled under the rules of the administration, and a lawyer would, presumably, know those five steps. Also, would gather medical evidence, your medical records, and be able to explain to the judge what the medical evidence means, what it shows about your physical condition. And then synthesize that with the five steps of what it means to be disabled, as why you, particularly, are disabled under the rules of the administration. We also, I advise claimants to testify at the hearing where I will ask them questions, the judge may ask them questions. We do a prehearing consult, where we go over everything and kind of explain the theory of the case. If you have any questions, this is the time. That’s what we do. That’s what I think a lawyer would do for you.
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June 11, 2021