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A very common misconception people have about Social Security disability is that if you are “disabled,” you are unable to do any job. This is absolutely false. If you think about it, being unable to do any job would be a ridiculous standard. There are jobs that virtually anyone could do. Imagine being in the relatively quiet position of a bridge tender in a low-traffic canal. You would basically do next to nothing until a boat comes along, at which point you would press a button to raise the bridge. The rest of the time, you could by lying in a cot or reclining in a comfortable chair. However, there are only a small number of bridge tender jobs out…Read More

The most important thing your Ocala disability attorney will do for you is prepare you for your testimony. In the best-case scenario, you will be prepared well enough that your Ocala disability attorney will not have to ask many questions and your testimony will feature you speaking in a natural way. After the testimony, however, some important events do occur. Right after you complete your testimony, your Ocala disability lawyer will be permitted to question any witnesses that you have brought with you to the hearing. Bringing at least one witness to your hearing is important in corroborating what you have said, giving details about your disabilities and their effects on you, and/or to offer an alternative point of view…Read More

An experienced Ocala disability lawyer will prepare your case well and ensure that you and your witnesses testify in a way that helps your case. There is one thing over which your lawyer has no control, however, and that is the time that it takes to conduct a hearing and as how long it takes to receive a decision. Hearings are, as a rule, quite short, generally clocking in at about 60 minutes or less. Even on the longer side, they almost never exceed an hour and a half. The shortness of the hearing is starkly contrasted by how long it can and does take for a claimant to receive the written decision. Both you and Ocala disability attorney will…Read More

Most of the work that your Ocala disability attorney will do for you will consist of building your case in preparation for the hearing. On the legal side of things, this means preparing you and any other witnesses for testimony at the hearing as well as doing research into the law and the outcomes of similar cases. In terms of the medical part of your case, your Ocala disability attorney may look at scientific literature pertaining to your health issues, gather records, and obtain statements from your doctors. An experienced Ocala disability lawyer will prepare you well enough so that you can do most of the talking at the Social Security disability hearing. At a hearing, it is best if…Read More

Unlike the formal rooms that are characteristic of courthouses, Social Security hearing rooms are just small conference rooms. They sometimes have an American flag or the seal of the Social Security Administration in the way of official trappings. As with any other type of meeting room, they always have a large conference table. There will also be a desk that will sit slightly above the level of the main conference table; this is the judge’s desk. An optional addition is a small desk for the judge’s assistant, who will otherwise sit at the main conference table. Because every hearing is recorded, every Social Security hearing room is equipped with audio recording devices. In order to ensure that the recording made…Read More

In this article, Ocala disability lawyer CJ Henry will explain the first two levels of review of your claim for Social Security disability benefits. You can apply for Social Security disability benefits (but not for SSI disability) on the Internet, but most claimants apply by phone. You can also make an appointment with a Social Security Administration claims representative at your local Social Security office. You will be asked to provide basic information, which the claims representative will type into the computer and print out for you to sign. If you make a telephone appointment, then the claims representative will mail you the form for you to sign. Keep in mind that only you can sign this application; your Ocala…Read More

In deciding whether you qualify for Social Security disability benefits, the Social Security Administration will place great weight on objective medical findings and your treating doctor’s opinion. In this article, Ocala disability attorney CJ Henry will explain why those two elements are so important in the determination of your disability. 1. Objective Medical Findings In your Social Security disability claim, objective findings can play a major role in the evaluation of whether or not you’re disabled. However, if your impairment does not meet or equal an impairment included in Social Security’s Listing of Impairments, the Social Security Administration should not look solely to see if your objective medical findings correspond to its special medical criteria. Even the Social Security Administration…Read More

The Social Security Administration carefully scrutinizes every aspect of your application for Social Security disability benefits. This includes the medical reports, clinical and laboratory test results, and the opinions of your treating doctor. In this article, Ocala disability lawyer CJ Henry explains that, contrary to what you may think, it’s not necessary for you to undergo a functional capacity evaluation, nor must your treating doctor have special expertise to give an opinion as to your capacity for performing work-related activities. You are never required to undergo a functional capacity evaluation. In fact, these tests hardly provide concrete indication of your ability to sustain work activities for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, and 50 weeks a year. Especially…Read More

The Social Security Administration’s determination of disability is based not just on objective medical evidence, but also on subjective symptoms that are often very hard to measure. This is because symptoms of pain aren’t readily quantifiable by clinical tests or laboratory diagnostic techniques. In this article, Ocala disability lawyer CJ Henry explains why the Social Security Administration may need to ask your treating doctor for a subjective opinion on your medical condition. The Social Security Administration may ask your treating doctor for an opinion as to the nature and severity of your symptoms. Social Security will also inquire as to what kinds of activities you’re still able to do in spite of your medical impairments and what your physical or…Read More

Applying for Social Security disability benefits can be a long and confusing process. In order to present the very best case for disability benefits before the Social Security Administration, you will need to know what to do and what to avoid. In this article, Ocala disability lawyer CJ Henry will provide some tips on how to proceed with your disability claim. Two huge mistakes you should avoid. First, if you’re initially denied benefits, do not give up. Failing to appeal is one of the biggest mistakes you can make, although it’s not uncommon: over half of disability claimants whose applications are denied fail to appeal for reconsideration, and many who are denied at the reconsideration phase fail to request a…Read More