There is no mandate that a disabled person that is applying for Social Security benefits must have an attorney. However, it is a fact that those applicants that are represented by a disability attorney in Missouri have a better chance of being approved than those that go it alone. There are a number of valid reasons for this:
Medical evidence:
There is no compassion involved when you claim disability benefits; the decision that is made by the Social Security Administration is made on medical evidence alone. Many claimants that are denied benefits don’t know what the SSA is looking for; they provide either too much superfluous information or not enough.
Applicants that are represented by a disability attorney in Missouri don’t have to be concerned about this, attorneys know from experience what evidence is needed to support their clients claim. A disability attorney reviews all the available evidence, it may be that additional tests are required or additional medical records must be sourced. Once the attorney has gathered the appropriate documents, the claim is made.
The hearing process:
In the event the initial application is denied; which is most often the case, the appeals process comes next. When it reaches the hearing stage, this is when the skills of a seasoned attorney come into play. Experienced attorneys know what to expect and they know how to prepare their client to answer the questions that the Administrative Law Judge will most often ask.
Often there are vocational and medical experts involved. During the hearing the ALJ will pose a series of “hypotheticals” to these experts in an effort to determine what, if any, work the claimant can do.
A disability attorney in Missouri knows how to counter any negative testimony that these experts may present. This takes a great deal of knowledge and understanding of the complexity of tasks that may be available and the skills that are necessary to carry them out properly.
The decision to hire a disability attorney is yours, but as these knowledgeable individuals work on contingency and only get paid when they win your case it makes little sense for you to “go it alone.”
If you are disabled, either mentally or physically and you can’t work for at least a year, you can claim Social Security disability benefits. If your claim is denied you should hire a knowledgeable disability attorney in Missouri. You are invited to discuss your case with the Grundy Disability Group. Like us on our facebook page.
