Bellingham Social Security Attorney
Each year, more than 2.5 million disabled workers file an application for Social Security disability benefits. The unfortunate reality is that around 70% of these applications will be denied. If a Bellingham, Washington resident becomes unable to work for more than a year due to an illness or injury, they have a very good chance of being in the large majority of claimants who are forced to undergo the Social Security Administration's lengthy and stressful appeals process. However, there is one thing they can do that will improve the chances that their application will be one of the 30% that is approved - and that is to hire a Bellingham Social Security disability attorney.
Bellingham, Washington is built around the harbor of the Bellingham Bay, and is the closest large city to the Canadian border. Historically, its economy has been largely based on the agriculture, fishing, and timber industries, but the healthcare industry has a growing presence in the area. The city's top employers include Western Washington University, St. Joseph Hospital, Bellingham School District, and Whatcom County.
Nearly 80,000 people call Bellingham home. The median cost of a single-family residence is $307,400, yet the median household income is $35,616. This means that many Bellingham residents likely have mortgage payments that make up a large percentage of their take-home pay, and those who are disabled and unable to work may face significant struggles in making payments if their application is denied.
Applying for Bellingham Social Security Disability Benefits
When a Bellingham, Washington resident has their application for Social Security disability benefits denied, the first step in the appeals process is to file a “Request for Reconsideration.” After waiting around 3-4 months for their first decision, it will take another 2-4 for the reconsideration decision to be received. Unfortunately, the large majority of these decisions are also denials. If a Bellingham disabled worker receives a second denial, and has not already hired a Bellingham disability attorney, they should strongly consider retaining one at this point.
Following a denial at reconsideration level, a “Request for Administrative Law Judge Hearing” should be filed. This is perhaps the most important stage of the process, because statistically, your claim has the highest chance of being approved at your disability hearing. However, the wait to actually have a hearing can be long. The office that schedules hearings for those who are applying for disability benefits in Bellingham, Washington, is located in Seattle. The average wait for a hearing out of this office is more than a year, at 392 days. This means that a Bellingham disabled worker could end up waiting two years or more from the date of their Social Security disability application to the date they appear in front of a judge.
The only upside to this lengthy wait is that it can give your Bellingham Social Security lawyer plenty of time to prepare you and your claim for the hearing. The Social Security Administration has a specific definition of “disabled,” as it pertains to qualifying for disability benefits, and a skilled Bellingham disability attorney knows how to use your medical records and other evidence to show how you meet this. Especially when you have multiple, or longstanding, conditions, you could have a large amount of medical records that pertain to your case, and a Bellingham, Washington disability lawyer can identify and highlight the portions that are the most helpful in proving your disability.
Hiring a Bellingham Disability Attorney
Your Bellingham Social Security disability lawyer can also obtain statements from your doctors or family members, suggest specific tests or evaluations that may be helpful in proving your claim, and identify counter-arguments to the reasons that the SSA denied your claim in the first place. Also, the SSA often hires a medical or vocational (employment) expert to testify at disability hearings, and it can be very beneficial to have a knowledgeable Bellingham Social Security attorney present to cross-examine them. Statistically, those who are represented at the time of their hearing have a greater chance of receiving a favorable outcome.
Many disabled Bellingham workers may wonder if they can afford to hire an attorney. The good news is that a Bellingham, Washington, Social Security attorney will require no upfront payment to meet with you and evaluate your claim. In fact, they will only be paid in the event that you are eventually awarded benefits – if your claim is not approved at any level, they will not be paid. Therefore, there's no reason not to take this important action that can greatly reduce the chance that you will be stuck with a pending claim for months, if not years.
A Bellingham, Washington Social Security lawyer will also represent those who are applying for disability benefits in Parkview, Roosevelt, Eureka, Lakeway, Forest Ridge, Dewey, Edgemoor, and Geneva, as well as those in Skagit, Chelan, and Okanogan counties.
