Why Do I Need A Social Security Lawyer?
Brian O Sutter
Personal Injury
If the unfortunate happens and you find yourself in an accident that impacts your ability to work—or leaves unable to work at all—it’s not the end of the world. You may no longer be able to draw a salary at your previous job, but you can still receive financial assistance from the US government in the form of something known as social security disability insurance, or SSD, or SSDI. However, just because this safeguard is in place, things don’t always run smoothly, and you may actually run into some trouble getting your claim for SSD recognized. Even in a case like this, it doesn’t mean you have to panic. There are still avenues open to you, including getting the services of an experienced social security lawyer in your corner to help you. But how exactly does this process work?
What Is Social Security Disability Insurance?
SSD is organized and maintained by the US government. It is a payroll tax-funded, federal insurance program that is managed by an organization called the social security administration. SSD is designed to act as an income supplement for people with restrictions on their ability to be employed. These restrictions are normally considered to be legitimate—that is to say medically provable, diagnosed—disabilities, usually physical, that prevent normal working opportunities from being a viable option.
SSD does not require a specific income threshold, unlike supplementary security income, or SSI, which requires a recipient to be below a certain financial threshold and remain below that threshold in order to qualify for continued SSI support. In theory, anyone with a diagnosed disability can apply for and receive SSD regardless of their financial status, whereas SSI is aimed at disadvantaged or lower income situations.
How Do I Get Social Security Disability Insurance?
If you live in Sarasota, Port Charlotte or any other city in Florida, you can apply for SSD through any of 54 field offices located throughout the state, or go online and fill out an application on the Internet. Your case will be considered, and, unlike in many other states, a specific disability examiner may be sent to examine you and assess your case. In most states, medical consultants would take up this role, and the decision would be made by a group. Florida is currently using a system where the specific examiner makes the decision as to whether the subsequent diagnosis merits the granting of the application.
Florida has approximately a 27% chance of acceptance of SSD, which is a few points below the national average that weighs in at 31%.
If your particular disability is very serious, and the effects are obvious and clearly debilitating, you will likely not require a lawyer to fight for your SSD privileges. However, in cases that aren’t quite so clear cut, the decision may not go in your favor. When that happens, that’s when you may want to consider getting a social security lawyer to help you.
What The Lawyer Can Do
If you don’t want to take any chances, you can ensure that a social security lawyer is in your corner right from the start. This means having an expert on your side that is working to make sure you provide all the necessary documentation and evidence that the social security administration will be looking for when they make their determination.
This can be especially important if you have a serious but not necessarily obvious disability, such as fibromyalgia, which is a condition that “comes and goes,” meaning that a diagnosis on any given day may not always be an accurate one. A social security lawyer already understands Florida’s system and will give you all the preparation you need for your claim.
Of course, if your claim is denied, then you will need the services of a social security lawyer more than ever. There may be a hearing that you will need to attend, and should this be the case, you’ll be glad to have an expert on your side. A social security disability lawyer has attended hearings and knows what to do to get a favorable decision. This kind of expertise is invaluable in stressful situations such as this. Don’t go it alone when you are trying to get your SSD, get the help of someone who knows the system and will work to protect your interests.