OUR GREENSBORO SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY LAW OFFICE EXPLAINS THE CRITICAL HEARING TESTIMONY

Whether you are approved for benefits or not depends largely on how well an attorney from a Greensboro Social Security disability law office does in extracting critical facts during your disability hearing that help support your case. Your attorney’s ability to delve into such details can make or break the case for you.

DAILY LIFE ACTIVITIES

In a large portion of Social Security disability cases, an individual does not meet one of the specified listings in the Social Security Administration’s Listing of Impairments. However, such individuals can still be approved for Social Security disability benefits if he or she cannot perform more than sedentary work, based on his or her age, past work experience, skills and education. At these types of hearings, the administrative law judge often asks the claimant about his or her daily activities. A claimant may honestly testify that he washes dishes, does his own laundry, cleans the floors, mows the lawn, frequently visits friends or family members and attends doctor appointments. Based on this simple set of facts, the administrative law judge may conclude that the claimant’s daily life has not been inhibited by the claimant’s impairment. Many opinion letters from judges cite such daily activities as one of the primary reasons for denying a claim. However, an attorney from a Greensboro Social Security disability law office may delve into further details that help establish that even if a claimant can perform some household tasks, he or she cannot perform sustained work on a full-time basis. For example, the disability attorney may ask questions about the details of these activities. He or she may ask if the claimant performs all such tasks on the same day and around the same time. He or she may ask about limitations in sustaining such activities, such as the claimant needing to take long breaks between tasks. Another individual may provide assistance to the claimant to help accomplish such tasks. It is important that a Social Security disability lawyer elicit such details during the disability hearing so that the administrative law judge has a more accurate idea of the claimant’s true limitations.

Legal Assistance From A Greensboro Social Security Disability Law Office

If you would like more information about critical hearing testimony, contact the Greensboro Social Security disability law office of Bridgman Law Offices at 704-815-6055.