Dallas SSD Appeal Lawyers
Did you recently receive a letter in the mail from the Social Security Administration (SSA) denying your claim for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits? If so, don’t give up hope. Our legal team at Kraft & Associates, P.C., is here to help you to appeal the decision without having to start over with a new claim.
At Kraft & Associates, P.C., we understand the important role that Social Security disability benefits play in a person’s life. We listen closely to our clients, focus on finding a solution that best suits their needs and bring the knowledge and insight that we have gained from more than 45 years of working with disabled individuals and their families in Dallas, Fort Worth and surrounding areas. If you were recently denied Social Security disability benefits, contact one of our experienced Dallas SSD appeals attorneys for a free evaluation of your case and a review of all of your options.
How Do You Appeal a Denied SSD Benefits Claim?
The process that you must follow to appeal a denied SSD benefits claim is broken into different stages. The first two stages are:
- Request for reconsideration – You can submit a request for reconsideration online or through the mail. You must submit it no later than 60 days after the denial of your application. Your case will be reviewed by a different Texas Disability Determination Services examiner than the one who initially reviewed your application. The examiner will look at all of the evidence that you initially submitted as well as any new information that you provide, including medical evidence and information about your work history.
- Disability hearing – If the DDS reviewer denies your claim, you can request a hearing by an administrative law judge (ALJ). The SSA will transfer your case to the nearest Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR). Texas has two ODAR offices in Dallas (Dallas Downtown and Dallas North) and two in Houston as well as offices in Fort Worth, Rio Grande Valley, and San Antonio. The hearing stage, the ALJ will review the evidence that you presented in your initial claim and appeal as well as any new evidence. That evidence could include statements from a doctor or testimony by medical and vocational experts. After the ALJ reviews the evidence and hears the testimony of any witnesses, the judge will make a final determination. Unfortunately, this stage of the appeals process tends to be lengthy. Some claimants may wait longer than a year for their hearing to occur. However, even this wait is preferable to starting the claims process over again or living without benefits.
If the ALJ denies your claim, you can request a review by the Social Security Appeals Council. The Council has discretion on whether to hear your case. For instance, if the Council finds that the ALJ decided your case correctly, it will refuse to hear your appeal. However, if the Council decides to review your claim, it will either decide the case itself or send it back to another ALJ who will review your evidence. If the Council denies your claim again, then you have the right to file a lawsuit in U.S. District Court.
How Can a Disability Benefits Lawyer Help with Your Appeal?
The law firm of Kraft & Associates, P.C., has worked with disabled individuals and their loved ones since 1971. Our decades worth of experience has given us a clear understanding of how important disability benefits are to our clients. This is why we are dedicated to providing skilled and compassionate service to those in the Dallas community whose claims for SSDI or SSI benefits have been unfairly denied.
At Kraft & Associates, P.C., our SSD attorneys offer free consultations to those who want to appeal the denial of their benefits claim. We listen closely to our clients to determine their goal, provide a full case review and give a frank assessment of the strength of their claim before we move on with the appeals process.
If you miss a deadline or fail to provide complete, accurate and up-to-date information, your claim may be readily denied. To avoid this outcome, we will make sure to properly and timely file the appeal in your case and compile the most recent medical evidence to substantiate your claim. We also work closely with our clients’ treating physicians to ensure that the administrative law judge reviewing your appeal has the final assessment of the doctor. This assessment can play a crucial role in the outcome of a case. If the ALJ requests further information, we are well-equipped to fulfill those requests promptly and efficiently.
Aside from representing our clients at their hearings before administrative law judges, we can also try to speed up the appeals process by helping you to submit a dire needs letter or by requesting an on-the-record review or an attorney-advisor decision. Once we learn of the decision on your claim, we can explain its meaning to you and either prepare you for receipt of your benefits or begin the process of pursuing your claim at the next stage in the appeals process.
At Kraft & Associates, P.C., we know how SSD benefits appeals can be lengthy. While your case is pending, we can assist you by helping you to find services you may need such as housing assistance or medical care. Basically, our goal is to be by your side throughout the entire appeals process and to ensure that you have a dedicated advocate in your corner.
Contact Our Dallas SSD Appeal Lawyers
The SSD appeals attorneys at Kraft & Associates, P.C., have served the disabled in Dallas for more than 45 years. Our experience can make a difference in your appeal. If your claim for benefits was denied, please don’t hesitate to call or contact us online to schedule a free consultation with a member of our dedicated legal team. Remember: You will pay us nothing for our services unless you receive disability benefits.