Dallas Social Security Attorney
Hard-working Dallas residents see Social Security taxes taken out of each and every paycheck they receive, in the assumption that Social Security Disability benefits will be there for them if they should ever need them. When the time comes to file a claim for benefits, however, many of these hard-working Dallas taxpayers are in for an unpleasant surprise. Many people who suffer from a disabling condition are surprised when their disability applications are denied. It is estimated that as many as 70 percent of applications are denied at the initial stage of the application process. Fortunately, hiring a Dallas Social Security attorney can help your chances of a successful application or, if necessary, a successful appeal.
Dallas is the ninth-largest city in the United States. In its early history, Dallas was primarily a farming community. That all changed in 1873 when the railroad came to the city and Dallas quickly grew, becoming a leader in the cotton gin machinery manufacturing industry. Nowadays, the Dallas economy is led by technological industries, financial services, defense, information technology, telecommunications services, transportation and processing. The Dallas area is also home to 13 privately-held companies with at least $1 billion in annual revenues and nineteen Fortune 500 companies including Dean Foods, ExxonMobil and Southwest Airlines.
Applying for Dallas Social Security Disability Benefits
Dallas is home to approximately 1,188,580 individuals. If the city follows the current statewide trend, approximately 3.4 percent of those individuals are receiving disability benefits. Unfortunately, nearly 70 percent of the disability applications received in Dallas are denied at the initial stage of the application process. This may be why it takes an average of 14 months for a Social Security Disability application to be approved in the state. By hiring a Dallas Social Security lawyer, you can increase your chances of filing a successful disability application.
What will hiring a Dallas Social Security Disability attorney do for you? A Dallas Social Security Disability lawyer can help you gather the medical evidence you need to support your claim for benefits and will help you provide your evidence, along with your application, in a way that will help the SSA decide in your favor during the application process.
If you have already filed for disability benefits and have been denied, it may not be too late. You have sixty days from the date of the SSA’s decision to file an appeal regarding your denial of benefits. If you want the best chance of filing a successful appeal, you should have a Dallas Social Security Disability lawyer representing you throughout the appeal process.
The first thing your Dallas disability lawyer will do is check if you meet Social Security's qualifying criteria. Not only must you suffer from a disability in order to qualify for benefits, but your disability must completely prevent you from working and must be expected to last at least 12 months. If you are applying for SSDI benefits, you must also have enough work credits to qualify you for the SSDI program. If you do not have enough work credits to qualify for SSDI, you may still be able to qualify for SSI benefits as long as your household income and assets are below a certain level. Your Dallas Social Security attorney will help you determine for which of these programs you will qualify, or if you may even be entitled to both.
Hiring a Dallas Social Security Disability Attorney
Once your Dallas Social Security lawyer has all of the information needed to pursue your case he or she will either help you file your initial application or, if your application is already denied, will help you file the next appropriate step in the appeal process. If you have not yet started the appeal process, a Request for Reconsideration is your next step. Unfortunately, in the majority of cases, a Request for Reconsideration will be denied. Your Dallas Social Security Disability lawyer will then file a Request for Hearing, where you will be able to plead your case in court.
The good news is that nearly two-thirds of disability appeals are approved at the hearing stage of the application process. This may be due to the fact that attorneys represent almost all clients at this level. While you are allowed to represent yourself during your hearing, hiring a Dallas disability lawyer can increase your chances of a successful outcome for your hearing.
If you are interested in obtaining an evaluation of your disability case, click here for your free Social Security Disability evaluation or to get more information about hiring a Dallas Social Security Disability attorney.
A Dallas Social Security Disability lawyer will also handle disability claims in the following cities located in Dallas County, Collin County, Denton County, Rockwall County, Kaufman County, Johnson County, Tarrant County, and Ellis County: Mesquite, Garland, Plano, Arlington, Fort Worth, Carrollton, Grapevine, Irving, Grand Prairie, Lewisville, Mckinney, Farmers Branch, Flower Mound, and Desoto.
