What Happens If There Is a Medical Expert at My Hearing?

If you have appealed your disability claim to the hearing level before an administrative law judge, you may receive notice that an expert witness is going to testify at your hearing. This is common in Ocala Social Security disability cases; in fact, nearly three quarters of all hearings have testimony by an expert. Sometimes the administrative law judge finds one of the issues in your case unclear and wants to hear from either a vocational expert or a medical expert, such as a doctor or psychologist, about the issue. It is far more common for vocational experts to testify in disability hearings than medical experts. Your Ocala Social Security disability attorney will explain to you what the medical expert will likely testify about at your hearing.

Issues at Play

The job of the medical expert in Ocala Social Security disability cases is to help the judge understand certain medical issues that need clarification. The judge will want to know how the medical issues in your case are impacted by Social Security regulations. Calling a medical expert means that the judge has looked at your case file and found one of these seven issues to be present:

• There is a complicated medical issue that the judge wants the help of a medical expert to understand;
• The judge has a question about your residual functional capacity;
• The judge has a question about the onset date of your disability;
• The judge has a question as to whether you followed your prescribed treatment;
• There is a question as to whether your impairment meets an impairment in the Listing of Impairments;
• There is a question as to whether your impairment equals an impairment in the Listing of Impairments; or
• You are claiming a mental impairment and the ALJ needs help completing the psychiatric review technique form required in such cases.

The testimony of the medical expert is helpful in many Ocala Social Security disability cases; in fact, it might be enough to win your case alone.

If you are filing for disability benefits, talk to an Ocala Social Security disability attorney about how your hearing will proceed. Call CJ Henry Law Firm, PLLC at 352.304.5300.