Easley Social Security Disability Appeals Lawyer

Receiving a Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits denial can bring about feelings of frustration and despair. At Pilzer Klein, our Easley, SC, Social Security disability appeals attorneys want you to know there’s hope for success.

Many Social Security disability claims are initially denied, but that doesn’t mean the end of your journey. Our team will help you understand the reasons behind your denial and build a strategy to get your application approved through the appeals process. Contact us today for a free consultation to discuss your Social Security benefits denial.

Were You Denied Social Security Benefits?

When applicants get denied Social Security disability benefits, it is usually due to one of four main reasons, which include the following:

Issues with Work History

Whether it be your work history or the number of work credits you have, your career is an important aspect of your SSDI application. But unfortunately, the Social Security Administration (SSA) often denies people due to a lack of either or both.

In this scenario, our lawyers can review your denied application and recommend an action plan. Remember, you do not qualify for benefits if you don’t have enough work credits, or if you earn too much (more than $1,470 monthly). But our attorneys can give you more information about what you need to do to qualify in the future.

Application Errors

Making errors on your application may seem like a surprising reason for a denied application. However, it’s common for the SSA to deny applicants because they didn’t fill out a section or because they provided incorrect information. 

If this is the reason the SSA denied your initial claim, our lawyers can help. We can’t file for you or on your behalf, but we can help you fill out your application correctly when you progress to the appeal stage.

Lack of Medical Evidence

You need medical evidence showing you cannot work to prove you have a qualifying condition. The SSA may have denied your application due to a lack of evidence, or the evidence wasn’t convincing enough. We can help you gather the right supporting documents and evidence to show your struggles with your disability. 

Treatment Gaps

Your application could’ve been denied because you didn’t follow your doctor’s orders, like attending follow-up appointments or taking medication. The SSA needs to see that you are actively trying to help yourself. Even missing one appointment could lead the SSA to believe you aren’t as injured or disabled as you claim.

What Is the Appeals Process?

You can use the appeals process to show that you disagree with the SSA’s decision and that you are going to try to qualify for benefits again. One common mistake most applicants make is that they don’t complete all the steps. You have four opportunities to appeal a denial, which include:

Requesting a Reconsideration

The first way to appeal is to ask for a different person from the SSA to review your claim. This person will review both your initial evidence and any new evidence your lawyer finds and, as such, there could be a new outcome for you.

However, you do have a deadline by which to request a reconsideration of your Easley Social Security disability application, which is 60 days from the date that your application was denied.

Administrative Law Judge Hearing

If your claim isn’t successful via reconsideration, the next step of the appeals process is to present your case to an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) in the SSA’s office. Your Easley Social Security disability appeals attorney will bring your case to the judge and, in our firm’s experience, most cases are successful at this stage. However, if yours is not, our team is fully prepared to go on to the next stage with you.

Appeals Council Review

If the ALJ judge doesn’t grant you disability benefits, your case will go back to the appeals council, which will review the outcome of the hearing. There are two possible results at this stage: the council will either accept your application and you’ll get disability benefits, or they will reject the case and send it back to the ALJ for a new hearing.

Regardless of what happens, our lawyers will continue gathering supporting evidence to strengthen your case. We don’t stop trying to get you your benefits until we’ve exhausted all our resources.

Review in Federal Court

The final stage of the SSDI appeals process is filing a lawsuit in Federal District Court. Our attorneys Don Pilzer and Kevin Klein have represented numerous clients before the U.S. District Court, so you can feel at ease with us representing you too.

Whatever the results of your Social Security disability appeal, our team is confident that we can help you.

How Much does It Cost to Hire a Disability Appeals Attorney?

When you’re struggling with not receiving the disability benefits you need, you shouldn’t have to worry about paying for qualified legal help too. At Pilzer Klein, you won’t have to because we work on a contingency fee basis. This ensures you get the legal help you need regardless of your financial situation.

If we can get your application approved and you receive benefits, only then will we charge you for our legal help. However, you won’t have to pay us out of your own pocket. Instead, we’ll bill the SSA and deduct our fees from your benefits.

Our fees are typically 25% of the owed back payment capped at $7,200, which you’ll only need to pay if we win your case. If we don’t, you won’t owe us anything.

Contact Us to Start Your Appeals Process

At Pilzer Klein, we do everything possible to lessen the financial burden and stress when working on your case. Whether it be reducing the costs of obtaining medical evidence or representing you in Federal District Court, we’ll be there fighting for your benefits from the day you call us.

Call or fill out the contact form on our website for a free case consultation today with an Easley, SC, Social Security disability appeals lawyer.