Disability Hearings

Preparing for Your Hearing

The disability hearing before an administrative law judge (ALJ) is probably the best opportunity you have to get your claim approved. This is the step of the appeals process with the highest rate of approval, so it is important to be sure that you are fully prepared. We strongly recommend that you use the services of an attentive lawyer during this time who can prepare you for the hearing and attend it with you.

We find that many of our clients feel uncomfortable or even intimidated during the hearing. We can help to prepare you for this so you are more confident in your answers to the judge. We will also help carry the burden of presenting your case in the best possible light to the judge. It is important to review everything that has been done up to this point and to try and isolate the causes for denied SSD benefits in your case. Once this is established, we will be better equipped to prepare for the hearing.

Reasons for Denial of Benefits

There are several possible reasons for a denial of benefits beyond the fact that the person is ineligible. For example, there are a substantially higher amount of claims submitted with every passing year but the number of personnel handling those claims has not increased proportionately. As a result, those who receive your claim are more likely to be overwhelmed with work and less likely to spend an adequate amount of time reviewing your claim.

This is an important reason why your claim must contain the essential information and must be presented in a manner that can be easily reviewed. There has been a great deal of attention on budget issues in our country over the past five years and there is only so much money available to pay out benefits. A skilled and experienced disability attorney can help to overcome all of these barriers to increase your chances of acceptance at your disability hearing. Call DAA today to learn more about strategies for your disability hearing.