FAUS LAW FIRM

SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY

ATTENTION DISABLED WORKERS: If you have filed a claim for Social Security disability insurance benefits and have been denied, you only have 60 days from the date of the denial notice to file an appeal or the denial decision becomes final.

You have worked all of your life supporting your family, and then because of illness or injury, you can no longer do so. You have contacted your local Social Security Administration (SSA) office and filed a disability claim, but now you are wondering if you really need a lawyer to represent you.

Before deciding, you should consider that in order to be found disabled by the SSA, the following must be proved:

1. The claimant is not engaging in substantial gainful activity (not working);
2. The claimant has a severe medical impairment;
3. The impairment meets or equals one of the impairments described in the Social Security regulations known as the "Listings"; or
4. The claimant does not have the physical or mental capacity to perform his/her past relevant work; and
5. There is no other work in the national economy that the claimant can perform considering his/her physical and/or mental limitations, work experience, education, and age.

The term "disability" has been defined under applicable Social Security law as an inability to engage in substantial gainful activity because of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which has lasted or can be expected to last for a period of at least 12 continuous months. A "severe impairment" has been defined as an impairment that imposes more than a slight limitation.

As you can see, determining disability involves a multi-step evaluation process, and not surprisingly, relying on the "I just can't work anymore" argument isn't going to get you very far with the SSA. The Faus Law Firm has over 25 years of legal experience in successfully handling disability claims before the SSA's Office of Hearings and Appeals. We have the "know-how" to help you navigate through this complicated maze of legal, medical, and vocational issues. Whether it is drafting legal briefs in support of your disability claim, or providing disability questionnaires to your treating physicians, or appearing with you before the administrative law judge deciding your claim, you can trust that the Torres & Faus Law Firm has got your back! Social Security disability cases are handled on a contingency fee basis-that is, you only pay us if we win your claim. The initial consultation in Social Security disability cases is FREE.