St. Louis Social Security Attorney
In St. Louis there are thousands of disabled individuals who struggle each and every month to make ends meet. Many of those who suffer from long-term or permanent disabilities are unable to work as a result of the physical limitations the disability places on them. Social Security Disability benefits are intended to help these individuals, but only 30 percent of the applicants who apply for disability benefits are approved at the initial stage of the application process. This leaves the remaining 70 percent of applicants wondering how they will possibly meet their financial obligations. Fortunately, a denial of benefits during the initial application stage does not mean that you will not be able to get disability benefits in the future. You will just need to appeal the SSA's decision to deny your disability claim. It is crucial, however, that you have a St. Louis Social Security Disability attorney representing you during this process, if you want to increase your chances of filing a successful appeal.
The St. Louis economy is diverse and flourishing. There are nineteen Fortune 1000 companies headquartered in the city. The health care, alcohol, finance and manufacturing industries play major roles in the well-being of the city's economy. Anheuser-Busch, Emerson Electric and May Department Stores all call St. Louis home. Chrysler, GM and Ford operate assembly plants in the area as well. St. Louis is also the base for the 8th Federal Reserve District bank. The gross metropolitan product of the area is estimated to be approximately $102 billion.
Applying for St. Louis Social Security Disability Benefits
There are approximately 992,000 residents living in St. Louis, Missouri. Of these residents, approximately 41,000 receive Social Security income and about 11,000 receive Supplemental Security Income benefits. The average time that it takes an applicant to go through the Social Security Disability claim process in St. Louis is 475 days. While this is not as long as it takes in some other areas of the nation, it does mean that the average applicant must wait more than a year before receiving a payment from the SSA. Fortunately, hiring a St. Louis Social Security Disability lawyer can increase your chances of being awarded disability benefits and may even reduce the time it takes for you to be approved for the benefits you so desperately need.
When you hire a St. Louis Social Security attorney, the first thing he or she will do is go over your claim for disability benefits with you. Once your claim has been reviewed, your attorney will advise you as to which program you may qualify for (SSI or SSDI or, in some cases, both) and what information you will need to gather in order to prove your disability case to the SSA. If your medical records do not contain enough objective evidence to support your disability claim, your St. Louis disability attorney may request that you undergo additional medical testing to strengthen your disability case.
After your St. Louis disability lawyer has reviewed your claim for benefits with you, he or she will file the first appeal with the SSA. This stage of appeal is called a Request for Reconsideration. Unfortunately, your chances of being awarded benefits as a result of this request are slim to none. In fact, more than 80 percent of Requests for Reconsideration are denied by the SSA. The next stage of the appeal process, which is the disability hearing, is when you have the greatest chance of successfully overturning the SSA's decision to deny your disability benefits.
Hiring a St. Louis Disability Attorney
The disability hearing process can be overwhelming, stressful and frustrating. It may take more than a year before you actually get your day in court. Then, you are left with the stress of presenting yourself properly before the Administrative Law Judge and proving the extent of your disability to the court. Fortunately, your St. Louis Social Security Disability attorney will do most of the work for you and will advise you as to what is required on your part to win your disability case. The good news is that nearly two-thirds of appeals are won at the hearing stage. If you are working with a good attorney and have enough objective medical evidence to support your claim, chances are that you will be awarded benefits as a result of this hearing.
Many people worry that they will not be able to afford proper legal representation. Fortunately, the cost of a St. Louis Social Security Disability lawyer does not have to get in the way of obtaining the legal representation you need. Disability lawyers work on a contingency basis, receiving 25 percent of the back payment you are awarded by the SSA or $6,000 (whichever is less). If you are not awarded benefits, your attorney does not get paid. This means that it is in your lawyer's best interest to win your disability case for you.
If you are interested in obtaining an evaluation of your Social Security Disability case, click here for your free Social Security Disability evaluation and to get more information about hiring a St. Louis Social Security attorney.
A St. Louis Social Security Disability lawyer will also handle disability claims in the following cities located in St. Louis County, St. Charles County, Franklin County, and Jefferson County: Kirkwood, Crestwood, Mehlville, Allton, Chesterfield, St. Peters, St. Charles, Hazelwood, Florissant, Maryland Heights, Granite City, Collinsville, Belleville, Columbia, and Fairview Heights.
