Oklahoma City Social Security Disability Attorney

We Fight for the Benefits You Deserve

If you qualify for Social Security Disability benefits, you should be able to secure them without engaging in a protracted fight.

However, the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program has grown large and cumbersome. So, many people are forced to go too long without the disability assistance they need. If you need help, contact our social security disability lawyers today.

About Our Oklahoma City Social Security Disability Attorney

At Cain Law, our compassionate Oklahoma City Social Security Disability lawyer has extensive experience securing SSDI benefits for clients who are unable to work for a living due to injury or illness.

How Can Our Social Security Disability Lawyers Can Help?

Our skilled social security attorneys have helped countless individuals and their families:

• Appeal negative Social Security Administration rulings about your benefits
• Secure disability “backpay” after a wrongly denied claim
• Prevent the elimination or reduction of benefits

We are here to make things right and take the burden off you. Contact our Oklahoma City SSD law firm to learn how we can help if your claim has been denied in the last 60 days. If your denial was more than 60 days ago you will have to start the claim again before we can help.

We do not charge a fee for work with Social Security Disability claims unless and until we recover payment for you. Schedule a free consultation now.

Why You Need a Lawyer to Help with a Social Security Disability Claim

Many first-time Social Security Disability claims are unfairly denied by the bureaucracy behind the two largest federal programs providing assistance to Americans with disabilities.

If you or a loved one has been denied benefits, our attorneys can help.

Services Our Disability Attorney Provides

Our experienced legal team can greatly increase your chances of success and make the entire process less of a burden on you by:

• Gathering and creating compelling evidence that clearly communicates the nature and extent of your disabling medical conditions and how they affect you
• Assisting you with every level of the appeal process
• Providing skillful representation when appealing a denial of your claim
• Responding to a cessation of benefits notices

Schedule a free, no-obligation consultation today with a social security lawyer to learn more about how we can help you.

How Does the SSDI Appeals Process Work?

The Social Security Administration provides a four-tier process for appealing decisions:

• Reconsideration. A claims examiner not connected to the initial consideration of your application will review it a second time. When you request reconsideration, you are allowed to add to your application before it is reviewed again. Our attorneys will help you decide what issues in your initial application should be addressed and what additional evidence you should provide to support your claim.
• Hearing. If your claim is denied upon reconsideration, you can ask for a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). At a hearing, you may testify and present witnesses to testify on your behalf, such as physicians who have examined or treated you. Our attorneys will guide you through this process to make sure we present a strong case at the hearing.
• Appeals Council Review. If the results of a hearing are unacceptable, you may ask the Social Security Administration’s Appeals Council to review your case. The Appeals Council may decline the request, conduct the review and hand down a decision, or remand your case to the ALJ who heard it previously to examine it again. You don’t take part in an Appeals Council review.
• District Court Case. If an Appeals Council review fails to resolve your claim to your satisfaction, you can file a lawsuit against the Social Security Administration. A lawsuit would go before a federal district court judge, and you would be allowed to present evidence and testimony. The SSA would also be allowed to present evidence against your claim and to rebut your evidence and testimony.

There are specific deadlines for requesting a review at each level of appeal, which cannot be missed. Every appeal proceeds according to standard accepted rules of evidence and procedure, and the process becomes increasingly formal at each step. It is possible, but not advisable, to appeal a decision on your own up through an Appeals Council Review, but the final appeal to the federal district court requires an attorney’s assistance.

Throughout the claim application and appeals process, any reason the SSA has to deny benefits will be voiced by professionals who deal with SSDI claims every day. Our attorneys deal with Social Security Disability benefits cases on a daily basis, as well. Our social security attorneys can put our experience and insight behind your benefits application.

Are You Eligible for Social Security Disability Benefits?

Because SSDI is an insurance program, you must have worked long enough and paid Social Security taxes through employment to accrue a benefit from this program. An applicant for SSD must show payments into the Social Security system for 40 quarters – 20 of which were in the 10 years immediately prior to becoming disabled.

Requirements for SSDI Benefits

Applicants for SSDI benefits must also provide evidence that they:

• Cannot do the work they performed in previous jobs
• Have a disability that has lasted or is expected to last at least 12 months, or lead to their death
• Have a medical condition(s) that prevents them from adjusting to any other type of employment

Evidence of Disability

If you have already applied for SSDI benefits or have begun to prepare an application, you know there are multiple forms to complete and multiple records to obtain and submit.

These include:

• Medical records to establish your disability
• Job records documenting employment over several years
• Workers’ compensation claim records (if your injury or illness is occupational)
• Financial assets (e.g., bank accounts, retirement accounts, other holdings)

Once you qualify by having paid into the Social Security system, the medical records you submit as part of your benefits application are key to a successful claim.

For the best results, your SSDI application should identify your disability as one that is included among the physical, mental, and immune system disorders found in the Social Security Administration’s “Listing of Impairments” (also known as the “Blue Book”). In most cases, a documented diagnosis that can be found in the Blue Book ensures acceptance of a claim.

If your condition cannot be specifically diagnosed, the medical evidence of your disability must convince claim examiners that your condition is equivalent to an impairment listed in the Blue Book.

You deserve benefits if you are disabled and unable to work. If you had your application denied, our Oklahoma social security disability lawyers can help you pursue the benefits you deserve.

Contact our Oklahoma SSDI attorneys for a free no-risk consultation. We have offices located in Oklahoma City and Edmond.

Reasons for Reduction or Termination of SSDI Benefits

Social Security Disability benefits can be reduced or terminated for a number of reasons, including:

• Returning to work – SSDI benefits are intended to substitute earnings from work, so if you return to work, you could lose your benefits. However, there are special rules about how work earnings are counted and special programs that allow you to test out working while still receiving your benefits.
• Age – If you reach full retirement age, your benefits will switch to retirement benefits.
• Medical improvement – You will be subject to a continuing disability review to assess if you are still disabled according to the Social Security Administration’s standards. These reviews usually occur every three or seven years.

Duty to Report Changes

If you receive disability benefits, you have an ongoing responsibility to report changes to the Social Security Administration. These changes include:

Not all changes will result in a loss or reduction of benefits. However, you may become ineligible for benefits and even wind up owing the Social Security Administration money for the benefits you do receive if you were ineligible for a short period of time if you do not report these changes.