More videos: Are You Likely to Qualify, How the Judge Determines Disability, and
How to Be Persuasive at Your Social Security Disability Hearing

Advantages of filing an appeal for Social Security disability benefits with the help of a Houston disability lawyer

If your application for Social Security disability benefits in the Houston area has been denied, you should not get discouraged. A majority of initial claims are denied outright by the Social Security Administration.

You may have a serious disability that the Social Security Administration has overlooked for any number of reasons. If this is the case, you should file an appeal with the help of a Houston disability lawyer if you believe that you are unable to work. Do not give up.

Lawyers who specialize in Social Security disability appeals are well aware that your very best chance for winning benefits will come not when you file your initial application, or even after your first appeal (called a Request for Reconsideration), but in a hearing that will take place after you have filed a second appeal. Your Houston disability lawyer will know the best way to prepare and present your case at the hearing and can help you succeed in your quest for disability benefits in Texas.

While winning benefits is never a 100% certainty, your Houston disability lawyer will know about the complicated legal rules and regulations involved with filing an appeal for Social Security disability benefits. The Social Security Administration is an extremely large system with many intricate functions, and disability lawyers are schooled in guiding clients through the various steps necessary to complete a successful appeal.

If your application for benefits has been denied and you would like to file an appeal, please explore our website. You will find an extensive collection of articles, videos, forms, and advice about how to win benefits by filing an appeal with the assistance of a Houston disability lawyer. You can also fill out the claim form on the right side of the website and we will review your claim for free and respond promptly.

Advice from a Houston disability lawyer about the right way to file an appeal for benefits

A majority of claimants seeking Houston disability benefits have both their initial claims and their subsequent Request for Reconsideration denied by Social Security. You should not give up hope if this happens to you; you still have the right to file a second appeal that will result in a hearing, where, with the help of a Houston disability lawyer, you are more likely than not to win benefits. You should follow these steps:

1. File your appeal on time. You have 65 days from the date you receive your denial letter to file your appeal. If you already filed your first appeal, file a second appeal. This is the one that will result in a hearing with an administrative law judge (ALJ), where the odds will be on your side.

2. You can file appeals in person at your local Social Security office (the address is in your denial letter), by phone (800-772-1213), or online (http://www.socialsecurity.gov/applyfordisability). There is no particular advantage to using one of these methods over the others, so do what makes you comfortable. However, be sure to always provide a list of current medications and a comprehensive list of any doctors you have seen since you filed your claim or last appeal.

3. Download our free e-booklet, Appealing a Denial of Benefits. It contains detailed information about the disability benefits appeal process, including:

• Why most applications are initially rejected. Learn about basic criteria that make you eligible for benefits, how to receive proper treatment from doctors, and how SSA evaluates claims.

• Tips for appealing a denial. Why you may need to see a specialist to get the correct medical evaluation, the importance of getting your doctor to give an opinion about residual functional capacity (RFC), and how you should document your limitations using a disability diary.

• Common mistakes to avoid. Details about errors that may cause Social Security to reject your appeal. You will want to read this section to sidestep mistakes that have doomed other disability applicants.

Why should you have a Houston disability lawyer with you at your hearing?

Houston area disability hearings are not like the trials that you have seen on TV or attended during jury duty; they are small, private affairs generally held around a conference table. There will not be a jury and the administrative law judge might not even wear a robe. However, it is a good idea to have a Houston disability lawyer with you for a number of reasons:

• Your Houston disability lawyer will be able to accurately present the medical records and reports to the judge. In fact, you usually do not need to even collect these records yourself if you have hired a lawyer; he or she will take care of it for you.

• Your Houston disability lawyer will know how to prepare you for the hearing, letting you know what to say and how to say it. He or she will understand how to act in front of the judge and can relate this information to you to increase your odds of presenting yourself well.

• Your Houston disability lawyer can speak to any witnesses that may need to testify on your behalf at the hearing. Some of the best witnesses used by disability applicants are former supervisors, coworkers, neighbors, and so forth. Disability lawyers know how to elicit the best honest testimony from such witnesses to help your case.

• Your Houston disability lawyer will keep track of important information for you. Accurate evidence in the form of meticulous records is highly important to having a successful hearing because the judge will want to see concrete data about your condition. A disability lawyer will not only collect this evidence for you; he or she will also know the best way to present it.

For more information about the hearing, please see Frequently Asked Questions about Social Security Disability Hearings and our video entitled “What Not to Do at Your Hearing”.

We are experienced Houston disability lawyers who can help you

The disability appeal process is complicated and and Social Security rules and regulations often seem contrary to common sense. Claimants often feel confused and frustrated with the entire system.

We understand this system and can assist you from your first appeal all the way through your hearing. Since 1980 we have represented hundreds of Houston disability applicants. It is all we do. We have decades of specialized knowledge and experience working with the judges in Houston and across Texas.

If you live in the Houston area and have had your initial claim for Social Security disability benefits denied, we can help you file your first and second appeal, as well as assist you at your hearing.

Please take a moment to describe your claim to us using the form on the right side of the website. It is free, quick to fill out, and gets delivered to us immediately. We will review your claim free of charge and respond promptly.

Or you can contact us at:

Morgan & Weisbrod
Houston disability lawyers

Email
Phone: 800.800.6353

6800 West Loop South,
Suite 450
Bellaire, Texas 77401