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If I apply for Social Security Disability Benefits and get denied, should I appeal if I think I am disabled?

Posted in Social Security Disability on July 24, 2017

If you apply for Social Security Disability benefits, and receive a notice of disapproved claim (which is a denial), then YES you have the legal right to appeal this denial if you believe you are disabled.  You have 60 days from the date you receive a notice of disapproved claim to file your appeal.   Make sure you file your appeal (called a “Request for Reconsideration”) within 60 days of the date of the Notice of Disapproved claim.  Once you file this request for reconsideration, the Social Security Administration will take another look at your case, and then issue you a letter called a “Notice of Reconsideration.”  If your request for reconsideration has been turned down also, then you may request a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge within 60 days of receiving this Notice of Reconsideration if you believe you are disabled.  Be sure to read all notice letters from the Social Security Administration and if you chose to appeal, file your appeal before the deadline.  The point is, if you believe you are disabled, KEEP APPEALING until you get to the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) level.  a hearing before an administrative law judge is your best chance to win your case.  However, a hearing before a judge can be complex.  There may be a vocational expert witness and/or medical experts present who will testify about your ability to work.  You must be able to deal with these witnesses and ask the proper questions to get your side of the case in.   If you do not present the proper evidence and elicit proper testimony, your claim may be rejected again.  An experienced Social Security Disability Attorney can represent you, gather evidence, file your appeals for you, and most importantly, handle your case at the hearing.    Most attorneys, including attorney John R. Jokela, will represent you on a contingency fee basis of 25% of the past due benefits due at the time the case is won, and no fee if the claim is unsuccessful.  Therefore you pay no up front fees to have an experienced lawyer.   Attorney John R. Jokela has been successfully representing injured workers at Social Security hearings for almost 20 years.  You can call John at 715-845-9000 for a free consultation.   John represents disabled workers in Appleton, Eau Claire, Stevens Point, Nekoosa, Mosinee, Merrill, Wisconsin Rapids, Minocqua, Woodruff, and the surrounding areas from his office in Wausau, Wisconsin.  John also makes home visits.   Please talk to a lawyer right away about your specific case and to make sure your deadline does not expire if you have received a denial as your specific situation may differ from the general information given above.