The Social Security Act is composed of many complex rules, regulations and laws. As an applicant for Social Security disability benefits you may elect to make the original application unaided by a lawyer but when the application is denied which they most frequently are, then it is advisable for you to hire a disability lawyer in Missouri to help you work your way through the various appeals that you will be faced with. Although a disability hearing in the presence of an administrative law judge is far less formal that what is expected in a court of law you still must go in front of the judge with a case which has been well thought out and prepared, you should be ready to support the application with ample evidence and if necessary, you may have to bring in expert witnesses to support your claim. Having a lawyer is important for a number of reasons; here are a couple of them.
Expert witnesses:
Do not be surprised if the Social Security Administration bring in expert medical and vocational witnesses, a disability lawyer in Missouri is trained to deal with and question these experts in their field.
Medical expert: In many cases the SSA feel that a medical expert is important as this individual can testify to the severity of your disability. After a careful review of your case file the expert medical witness will render an opinion as to whether or not you qualify for benefits in accordance with the listing and definition of the impairment. The impairments that qualify are in what is known as the “Blue Book.” This SSA handbook defines in great detail what conditions qualify and what requirements must be met in order to be found disabled.
The opinion of this medical expert can make or break your application for disability benefits. Your disability lawyer is as familiar with the contents of the Blue Book as the witness is, if your lawyer feels that the witness is wrong he or she has the right to cross examine the witness on your behalf.
Vocational expert: During the hearing you can expect that the SSA will have a vocational expert in attendance. This expert will be called upon by the administrative law judge to offer an opinion on whether you can continue to perform the tasks you did in the past or whether in his or her opinion there are tasks that you can do despite your disability. Often the judge will ask the expert vocational witness improper questions, your disability lawyer in Missouri will be the first to object to the line of questioning. Your lawyer also can direct questions to the expert thereby ensuring that every aspect of your disability is being factored into his opinion.
Not only will your lawyer cross examine the SSA’s expert witnesses he or she will offer medical opinions from your physician. In the greatest majority of cases the judge will give more credence to your doctor’s opinion than the opinion of the experts.
When you are faced with a disability hearing you should go into it with your disability lawyer in Missouri who will make sure you are well prepared. Browse GrundyDisabilityGroup.com website for more details..
