OUR CHARLOTTE SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY ATTORNEY EXPLAINS SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY: THE FINAL APPEAL

Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits are payable to disabled applicants. A disability eligible for benefits is the “inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physician or mental impairment which can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months or result in death.” Benefits may be paid to the disabled individual and certain family members depending on the specific circumstances of the applicant’s disability and employment history.

WHAT IF YOU ARE DENIED BENEFITS?

Should your applicant for benefits be denied, our firm’s Charlotte Social Security disability attorney will counsel you regarding the denial and your recourse, including the right to appeal. Social Security disability appeals are highly-complex. The Bridgman Law Offices and their Winston-Salem Social Security disability lawyers possess the specialized legal knowledge and skill to address your appeal.

THE RIGHT TO APPEAL

When a Social Security disability application is denied, applicants have the right to appeal. In fact, applicants have four opportunities to appeal. The first two levels of appeal are a Request for Reconsideration and an Administrative Hearing. The final levels of appeal are an Appeals Council review and a federal court review, or lawsuit filed in federal court.

If your SSD benefits have been denied, and you have exhausted the first two levels of appeal, you should confer with a seasoned Winston-Salem Social Security disability lawyer. The Bridgman Law Offices will provide you with the aggressive representation you need to navigate through your final SSD appeals. While our firm possesses the requisite skill, knowledge, and expertise to represent SSD applicants at all stages of the application/appeals process, the emphasis of this article is limited to the two final layers of appeal:

Appeals Council

This level of appeal follows an unsuccessful Administrative Law hearing. At this stage of appeal, an applicant may request an Appeals Council to review the Administrative Law judge’s decision. Applicant appeals are seldom successful at this level; the Appeals Council has discretion whether to review cases, and has discretion to uphold the denial or simply dismiss the case.

Filing Suit: Federal Court Review

If applicants are unsuccessful at the Appeals Council level, they have the right to file a lawsuit in District Court. A federal judge reviews SSD appeals independent of a jury. Lawsuits are time-consuming, costly, and uncertain.

Regardless of which stage of appeal you find yourself, the Charlotte Social Security disability attorneys from the Bridgman Law Offices will vigorously represent your legal interests to obtain the benefits to which you are entitled.

RETAINING A CHARLOTTE SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY ATTORNEY

Our firm’s lawyers have successfully represented applicants in the appeals process who have been denied their SSD benefits. If you have been denied benefits, please confer with the Winston-Salem Social Security disability lawyers from the Bridgman Law Offices at 704-815-6055 to appeal that wrongful denial.