Dearborn Social Security Attorney
As home to the World Headquarters of the Ford Motor Company, as well as the Henry Ford Museum, Dearborn Michigan is a suburb of Detroit Michigan that has a strong automobile industry presence. A large number of the 98,153 who reside in Dearborn work for Ford, and other major employers include Oakwood Health System, Visteon, and the Dearborn Board of Education. The median household income for Dearborn households is $44,560, and the cost-of-living is a reasonable 7.9% less than the nationwide average.
Applying for Dearborn Social Security Disability Benefits
According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), approximately 5.7% of the Michigan population are currently receiving Social Security disability benefits, and their average monthly payment amount is $1,189. This may sound like encouraging news for those Dearborn residents who are unable to work due to a disability, but the truth is that there are many more disabled workers who have had their claims denied and are currently going through the SSA's lengthy appeals process. Statistics show that those who hire a qualified Social Security disability attorney have a better chance of getting approved and avoiding this stressful process.
Only around 30% of those who apply for Social Security disability benefits end up being approved on their first try. This means that 70% of these disabled workers will then file an appeal, called a “Request for Reconsideration.” This opens their claim back up and requires that another claims adjudicator review their file to be sure that the denial was appropriate (claims adjudicators are the SSA employees who make the decision on whether or not to approve a claim, along with medical experts hired by the SSA.) It normally takes around 3-4 months to get the first decision after filing an application for benefits. It will take another 2-4 to get the reconsideration decision. This means that the disabled worker will likely wait over a half year just to get through these first two stages of the process.
Hiring a Dearborn Disability Lawyer
If a second denial is received, the Social Security applicant will then file a “Request for Administrative Law Judge Hearing.” The largest majority of claims are allowed following these hearings, so it's very important to do everything you can to prepare your case before appearing in front of a judge. A Dearborn Social Security disability lawyer can be extremely beneficial at this stage of the process. The wait for a hearing can be long. The office that schedules these hearings for Dearborn residents who are applying for Social Security disability benefits is in Detroit, Michigan, and the average wait for a hearing is nearly a year, at 359 days. There is much that a Dearborn disability attorney can do in this time. This includes reviewing your medical evidence and submitting it to the SSA, obtaining statements from your doctors, and forming a “theory of disability.” The SSA has a specific definition of “disabled,” and a knowledgeable Dearborn Social Security lawyer knows how to use your medical records and other evidence to show you you meet this definition. Depending on the strength of your claim and your individual situation, sometimes a Social Security lawyer can even prepare a request for your claim to be granted without waiting for a hearing (called an “on the record request.”)
Another benefit of hiring a Dearborn disability lawyer is that they can prepare you for the hearing. It can be intimidating to have to testify in front of a judge, but your Dearborn disability attorney can let you know what to expect and how to best answer the judge's questions. Your Dearborn Social Security attorney can also cross-examine any expert witnesses that the SSA hires to testify at your hearing.
If your claim is approved following your hearing, you will then wait to receive a Notice of Award, which sets forth the amount of your monthly and “back benefits.” (the lump sum that you can be paid if the SSA finds that you've been disabled since a prior date.) These often contain errors, and it can be a very good idea to have your Dearborn Social Security attorney review this to ensure that you are being paid the full amount that you are entitled to.
If you are not granted benefits following your hearing, there are two additional appeal levels available – the Appeals Council, and bringing a case in Federal Court. If your case ends up at one of these levels, it's absolutely critical that you obtain qualified representation, as only a very small number of claims are granted at Appeals Council or in Federal Court.
But again, you may be able to avoid the entire lengthy and stressful appeal process by hiring a Dearborn disability attorney upon first completing your application for benefits., Luckily, there is no upfront cost for this. Dearborn Social Security lawyers work on a contingency basis, which means that they are only paid if and when you are awarded benefits (in this case, their pay would be 25% of your back benefits.)
A Dearborn Social Security lawyer will also handle disability claims for other Wayne County workers, as well as those in cities such as Livonia, Oakland, Lincoln Park, Dearborn Heights, Southgate, and Taylor. They could also represent those applying for disability benefits in Monroe, Oakland, and Macomb counties.
