A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE INVOLVED IN YOUR DISABILITY CLAIM
A lot of people get involved when you file a Social Security disability claim. Here are some of the key players, so you understand what happens to your claim.
The Social Security Field Office. This office will start your file and gather all the administrative forms, including your application, release forms, work history and other forms. When this administrative folder is complete, your case will be handed off to the state Disability Determination Service or DDS.
A Disability Specialist. This is a case worker at the state Disability Determination Service. He/she will order all your reported medical records and review them to determine if you meet Social Security's rather narrow definition of disability.
Your Treating Doctors and Other Healthcare Professionals. The doctors, clinics, hospitals, counselors or others who have treated you will submit their records for review. You cannot be found disabled without objective medical evidence.
A Doctor Who Consults for Social Security. Sometimes, Social Security will send you to one of their doctors for a consultative examination. This usually occurs when they feel they don't have enough medical evidence from your own doctors. Usually, a consultative exam by one of these doctors does not help your case.
A Vocational Expert. Social Security may have a vocational (job) professional review your work history--going back 15 years--to understand the type of work you have done and whether you are able to continue performing this type of work.
An In-House Medical Doctor. Social Security often will have an on staff or in-house medical doctor to review your medical file. This doctor will approve the decision made by the disability expert at the Disability Determination Service. If a doctor does not "sign off" on your decision, the person making the decision on your claim is called a "single decision maker" and that person is not considered to be a medical expert.
A Quality Control Reviewer. If your case is approved, Social Security will often send it to another office to have it reviewed for quality control. This gives another decision maker a chance to deny the claim if they feel the original decision maker made a mistake. This happens before you know that a decision has been made. If you get denied in quality review, you receive a letter stating that "you are not disabled according to our rules." This decision is subject to your appeal and it should be appealed right away. The deadline for appeal is 60 days.
A Payment Processing Center. If your claim is approved, it will go to a payment processing center, probably in Baltimore, MD to begin processing payments. There is also a payment processing center in Birmingham, AL. It can take up to 90 days to have your payment processed and a check/deposit issued.
An Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). If your claim was denied, and you appeal, it will be scheduled before an ALJ for a hearing. This will be about 18-24 months in future because the hearing offices are jammed with thousands of appeals ahead of ours.
Your Attorney or Representative. By now, you are thoroughly disgusted dealing with Social Security. You probably want and need a representative to handle your appeal and put it on the right track. Literally hundreds of hours, not to mention hundreds of dollars, can go into a properly prepared appeal and hearing preparation. You benefit from the legal skills of a person trained to deal with Social Security laws, procedures and rules.
Your attorney/representative will handle your case without any payment. If you win, and only if you win, Social Security will withhold an agreed upon amount of your back pay and pay the attorney directly. This fee will be a small percentage of your back pay. If you do not win (or if you do not get any back pay), there will be no fee for the attorney's service.
THE FORSYTHE FIRM
7027 Old Madison Pike NW
Huntsville, AL 35806
"Across from Bridge Street"
Phone (256) 799-0297
WE NEVER ASK YOU FOR MONEY.
We handle nothing but Social Security cases.
The Social Security Field Office. This office will start your file and gather all the administrative forms, including your application, release forms, work history and other forms. When this administrative folder is complete, your case will be handed off to the state Disability Determination Service or DDS.
A Disability Specialist. This is a case worker at the state Disability Determination Service. He/she will order all your reported medical records and review them to determine if you meet Social Security's rather narrow definition of disability.
Your Treating Doctors and Other Healthcare Professionals. The doctors, clinics, hospitals, counselors or others who have treated you will submit their records for review. You cannot be found disabled without objective medical evidence.
A Doctor Who Consults for Social Security. Sometimes, Social Security will send you to one of their doctors for a consultative examination. This usually occurs when they feel they don't have enough medical evidence from your own doctors. Usually, a consultative exam by one of these doctors does not help your case.
A Vocational Expert. Social Security may have a vocational (job) professional review your work history--going back 15 years--to understand the type of work you have done and whether you are able to continue performing this type of work.
An In-House Medical Doctor. Social Security often will have an on staff or in-house medical doctor to review your medical file. This doctor will approve the decision made by the disability expert at the Disability Determination Service. If a doctor does not "sign off" on your decision, the person making the decision on your claim is called a "single decision maker" and that person is not considered to be a medical expert.
A Quality Control Reviewer. If your case is approved, Social Security will often send it to another office to have it reviewed for quality control. This gives another decision maker a chance to deny the claim if they feel the original decision maker made a mistake. This happens before you know that a decision has been made. If you get denied in quality review, you receive a letter stating that "you are not disabled according to our rules." This decision is subject to your appeal and it should be appealed right away. The deadline for appeal is 60 days.
A Payment Processing Center. If your claim is approved, it will go to a payment processing center, probably in Baltimore, MD to begin processing payments. There is also a payment processing center in Birmingham, AL. It can take up to 90 days to have your payment processed and a check/deposit issued.
An Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). If your claim was denied, and you appeal, it will be scheduled before an ALJ for a hearing. This will be about 18-24 months in future because the hearing offices are jammed with thousands of appeals ahead of ours.
Your Attorney or Representative. By now, you are thoroughly disgusted dealing with Social Security. You probably want and need a representative to handle your appeal and put it on the right track. Literally hundreds of hours, not to mention hundreds of dollars, can go into a properly prepared appeal and hearing preparation. You benefit from the legal skills of a person trained to deal with Social Security laws, procedures and rules.
Your attorney/representative will handle your case without any payment. If you win, and only if you win, Social Security will withhold an agreed upon amount of your back pay and pay the attorney directly. This fee will be a small percentage of your back pay. If you do not win (or if you do not get any back pay), there will be no fee for the attorney's service.
THE FORSYTHE FIRM
7027 Old Madison Pike NW
Huntsville, AL 35806
"Across from Bridge Street"
Phone (256) 799-0297
WE NEVER ASK YOU FOR MONEY.
We handle nothing but Social Security cases.
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