San Bernardino Social Security Attorney
San Bernardino, CA, the county seat of San Bernardino County, has a population of almost 210,000. The city is located in the southern part of the state and lies in the San Bernardino Valley close to the San Bernardino Mountains. As one of the oldest settlements in California, non-native people began to live in the area as early as 1810. Established as a city in 1857, San Bernardino is named for St. Bernardino of Siena. San Bernardino was an outpost for the Mormon faith until the Mormon settlers were recalled to Utah in 1857. With the establishment of the California Southern Railroad, San Bernardino was linked to the rest of the state and the country.
Government, education, retail, transportation, and service businesses make up the bulk of the city’s economy. Norton Air Force Base was located in the city for many years. Its closure in 1994, resulting in a loss of 10,000 skilled jobs, caused a drastic downturn for the economy, which has just now started to recover. San Bernardino’s most famous company is probably McDonald’s, which began in the city in 1948.
San Bernardino is home to California State University, San Bernardino. Residents enjoy symphony and theater performances at the Fox Performing Arts Center and visits to one of the city’s museums. The Robert V. Fullerton Museum of Art, the Route 66-McDonald’s Museum, and the Santa Fe Rail Road Museum are all located in San Bernardino. Each year the city hosts the Berdoo Bikes & Blues Rendezvous in the spring, the Western Regional Little League Championships in August, and the Route 66 Rendezvous in September.
A majority of the city’s residents are Latino. The next largest ethnic groups are Caucasians and African-Americans. Almost a quarter of San Bernardino’s residents are age 45 or older. Of San Bernardino’s children, 36% live below the poverty line. Of San Bernardino’s seniors, 11% live below the poverty line. Of those San Bernardino residents who receive Social Security benefits, 18% are disabled and receive benefits from SSDI or SSI.
Applying for San Bernardino Social Security Disability Benefits
San Bernardino residents who are applying for disability benefits are often surprised at the detail that is required throughout the process. Social Security asks you to prepare a 15 year work history and also asks you to attach documents that chart the history of your disability from your diagnosis forward. The Social Security Blue Book Listings for each disability discuss which medical records you will need to attach to your application. For each disability, Social Security wants to know your prognosis. It also wants to see your treatment history, how you have responded to treatment and whether you may respond to treatment in the future. Supplying all these records can be quite time consuming, not to mention frustrating if you are unfamiliar with the medical and technical language used. If you are also trying to cope with a severe disability, the task can be overwhelming, and this is one area where the help of a Social Security attorney can be invaluable. Your San Bernardino disability lawyer can also help you fill out your application correctly to eliminate delays caused by missing or incomplete answers to the questions on the application.
Hiring a San Bernardino Disability Attorney
Many applications are initially denied, with the result that the applicant must take his or her claim to the appeals level. If you do this, your San Bernardino Social Security attorney can help you keep track of filing deadlines and explain the appeals process to you to eliminate any confusion. A lawyer is experienced in appeals and will be able to effectively present your case to the administrative judge. At the hearing, a Social Security attorney will speak for you, question witnesses on your behalf, and, if new evidence has come to light, present it to the judge.
Fees to a San Bernardino Social Security Disability attorney are limited by law to 25% of your back claims or $6,000. Unless your disability claim is approved, you will not owe your San Bernardino Social Security attorney any fees. Fear of legal fees should not keep you from getting the help you need to have your claim approved.
A San Bernardino Social Security Disability lawyer will also handle disability claims in the following cities located in San Bernardino County, Riverside County, Inyo County, Kern County, Orange County, and Los Angeles County: Fontana, Rancho Cucamonga, Redlands, Sunnyslope, Riverside, Moreno Valley, Corona, Yorba Linda, Chino, Cypress, Loma Linda, Highland, Muscoy, Ontario, Arcadia, El Monte, and Beaumont.
