Social Security Disability

Did you know that, on average, 2 out of every 3 people who apply for disability benefits are denied? Applying for disability benefits also is often a marathon, not a sprint. At the Law Offices of Jeffrey A. Garrety, we don’t sugarcoat the facts. We provide honest answers to our clients about the disability process. We tell them what to expect at each stage of the disability process and discuss how we can help.

We go over the test Social Security uses to determine is someone is disabled in detail and then discuss the strategies we use to help our clients get approved.

Social Security cases usually begin with an evaluation by the state disability services in Nashville. Most people are denied at the first stage and have to file an appeal, also known as a Request for Reconsideration. Social Security then has other people at the state disabiltiy office in Nashville review your file. Again, most people are denied. We then help you file a request for a hearing before an administrative law judge (“ALJ”).

These are informal hearings where the ALJ will take evidence about your case and ask you why you can’t work. If the ALJ denies your case, we can appeal to the Appeals Council.  This is a group of judges in Virginia who review the case to see if the the ALJ followed Social Security’s rules.  In most cases, the Appeals Council does not reverse the ALJ. If the Appeals Council doesn’t act, we can then sue Social Security in federal court. A federal judge will review the case to see if Social Security followed its rules.

We handle cases at every stage of the process.

Contact us today for a free evalution of your case and answers to your questions about your work injury.