Resources

As you prepare for your testimony at your disability hearing, your Ocala Social Security disability lawyer can explain how important it is for you to establish and maintain your credibility while providing testimony about medical evidence and your treatment history. Medical Evidence The symptoms you experience cannot usually be measured, but your Ocala Social Security disability lawyer can explain that these effects can be observed. For example, pain that you experience may manifest itself in muscle spasms, reduced motion to your joints, disruption of your movement and deficits in your sensory perceptions. If you have some of these medical findings in your medical records, your testimony will be more credible: A description and location of the symptoms, factors that cause the…Read More

Your ability to successfully pursue your Social Security disability case depends significantly on how well you respond to your Ocala Social Security disability attorney during your hearing. Your Ocala Social Security disability lawyer will ask you questions about the symptoms that you have experienced and the limitations imposed on you. While you might be able to recall information regarding your limitations, it might be harder for you to recount specific details without the assistance of a written recording. Here are some reasons that creating a diary can assist you with your testimony. Quality of Testimony The accuracy and quality of your testimony can be heightened with the assistance of a diary. Additionally, a diary can help you recall specifics about the symptoms…Read More

Even when you have a strong disability case, you may need to jump through some bureaucratic hoops in order to get approved for benefits. Going it alone can be daunting and confusing, but when you work with an Ocala Social Security disability law firm, you will give yourself the best chance of success. Every case is different, so your attorney will analyze your situation and determine the best way to present and win your case. There are a number of ways your disability lawyer will help you. Here are a few of them. Fill Out Paperwork As you proceed through the application process, you will find yourself swimming in paperwork. You will be required to fill out forms about your…Read More

One of the first questions that the Ocala Social Security disability law office that is representing you may have is who can help provide testimony on your behalf. In some cases, it is not possible to have the witness appear to present live testimony at your hearing. However, your Ocala Social Security disability law office may wish to provide written statements from these witnesses. Style of Letter Your Ocala Social Security disability attorney may explain that it is best to avoid form letters that simply state how long witnesses have known you and that you are disabled. Instead, the letter should be personalized. It should clearly establish how the witness knows you and would be able to provide information regarding your physical…Read More

A vocational expert may provide testimony that can adversely affect your case. Your Ocala Social Security disability income attorney can explain the possible testimony a vocational expert can provide and whether there is anything that your Ocala Social Security disability law firm can do to help your case recover after damaging testimony. Potential Testimony Your Ocala Social Security disability income attorney can explain that there are four potential possibilities regarding vocational expert testimony. First, the vocational expert can testify that you can perform past relevant work. Second, he or she can testify that the administrative law judge's hypothetical question does not properly include all of your limitations. Third, the vocational expert may say that he or she does not understand the limitations that…Read More

If your obesity has contributed to your disability, your Ocala Social Security disability benefits lawyer can explain how this can impact your case. Body Mass Index Body mass index is used to evaluate obesity levels. This measurement is weight divided by height, multiplied by 704.5. Your Ocala Social Security disability benefits lawyer can explain that your waist size is also taken into account, with a larger size permitted for men. Prescribed Treatment While obesity can impact your disability, your Ocala Social Security disability benefits lawyer can explain that if you fail to follow the treatment prescribed by your health care provider, you may be denied Social Security disability benefits. One relevant ruling states that benefits will not usually be denied due to…Read More

An Ocala Social Security disability lawyer may discuss the medical-vocational guidelines and how they can affect your case. Having a better understanding of this process can help you with your case. Need for Guidelines These guidelines are set up to establish two things. First, an Ocala Social Security disability lawyer can explain that this process helps to determine whether there are jobs that exist in significant numbers for particular mixes of age, work experience, educational level and residual functional capacity. Additionally, an Ocala Social Security disability attorney can explain that the guidelines also help to establish the parameters that assess how age, work experience and educational level impact the case. Role of the Vocational Expert An Ocala Social Security disability…Read More

Chronic pain is a frequent claim made by Social Security disability claimants as any Ocala Social Security disability claim attorney knows. After all, most conditions that are so crippling they would prevent someone from working would also be expected to be significantly painful. However, basing a claim on claims of pain can be difficult because there is no scientifically objective measurement for pain. How to Prove Your Pain If you and your Ocala Social Security disability lawyer are able to establish that you have a medically-determinable impairment that causes you pain, the Social Security Administration will evaluate the intensity and persistence of your pain. The goal of asking this is to determine whether you would still be able to do…Read More

To avoid losing your Social Security disability benefits, you should be careful when engaging in self-employed work activities. If your work situation is going to change, you should retain an Ocala Social Security disability benefits lawyer before proceeding. In the meantime, educate yourself about the potential pitfalls to avoid problems. Substantial Gainful Activity Business owners and other self-employed people who receive Social Security disability benefits often assume that they only need to worry about engaging in substantial gainful activity if they are making a profit. That's not necessarily the case. However, you're highly unlikely to lose your benefits based on these activities alone. Still, if you're working 80 or more hours per month, even if you're losing money, the Social…Read More

The judge may ask a vocational expert, or VE, to appear at your disability hearing. Your Ocala Social Security disability attorney will have the opportunity to cross examine the VE regarding the statements made during his testimony. The Role of a Vocational Expert Vocational experts are typically employed in positions in which they encourage employers to hire individuals despite their impairments. Thus, their role as a VE may be at odds with what they do on a day-to-day basis. Despite this fundamental difference, VEs are asked only to provide information about work that exists in the national economy. A VE’s opinion about accommodations that would have to be made for a claimant to work at a particular opinion are irrelevant.…Read More