Every year millions of people file for social security disability benefits alleging that they are disabled and unable to work. Whether they win their claim is a decision that is made by the Social Security Administration. But just how are these cases decided? Who makes that final determination of whether you can perform in the workplace?

Brian Mittman and Scott Daniels, attorneys with Markhoff & Mittman, will break down the determination process and discuss the process of how a claim is decided on their latest free disability webcast broadcast live via blogtalkradio. 

What are the odds of winning your case?

Who is making the decision?

What recourse do you have if you think your claim was decided unfairly?

Answers to these questions and much more on today’s webcast. If you can’t tune in live, no problem, CLICK HERE for the podcast or visit www.markhofflaw.com for a list of previous webcasts on the right side of our homepage.

What does that mean for Social Security Disability recipients?

Unfortunately, we do not have a definitive answer just yet. Major media outlets are reporting that if the United States defaults, social security checks will not be sent out on time, setting off what could be a catastrophic financial disaster. The government will default on it’s contracts with small businesses; individuals will not be able to pay their bills; interest rates will sky rocket due to widespread default. 

I want to point out that this is the extreme scenario. In the event our elected officials can’t come to an agreement, President Obama can invoke his 14th amendment right to raise the debt ceiling in an attempt to avoid financial disaster.  This can be done without congressional approval since the 14th amendment states that “the validity of public debt…shall not be questioned,” hence no congressional approval.

We’ll just have to see what our government does in these final hours, but it looks like the President will probably save the day in the final hour.  CLICK HERE to check out this great article on cnn.com about whether social security checks will be sent out on time.

Don’t risk thousands of dollars by hiring an attorney who just “dabbles” in disability law. Doing so could result in a denial and could cost you a large sum of money. When hiring a lawyer, don’t be afraid to ask them how many disability claims they’ve handled in the past, or what their success rate is. No lawyer can guarantee you a result, but a good lawyer will break down the issues in your case and what hurdles need to be overcome.

At Markhoff & Mittman, we pride ourselves in representing the injured worker exclusively. We do that so that we can cater our practice to helping those who have become unable to work as a result of an injury or impairment. When thousands of dollars are at stake for you and your family, you want to be able to rely on effective representation. And that is just what you’ll get from Markhoff & Mittman.

A social security disability case can be difficult thing to handle. This course explores the various ways to successfully prove a case on behalf of your client. Knowing how to deal with the complexities of a disability claim could mean the difference in obtaining thousands of dollars on behalf of your client.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE COURSE.

I just wanted to e-mail you and thank you and your entire firm for doing a magnificent job with my disability case. I was a little nervous and apprehensive when I first started my case but you and your staff made it a simple and easy step by step process which worked out to perfection. I was awarded what was due to me with my disalility claim and it couldn’t have came at a better time. If I ever encounter someone that may need a disability firm I will most certainly recommend the best people in the business. May God bless you and the entire Markhoff and Mittman law firm as you have made it possible for me to be blessed. Thanks again for all you have done for me.

In the social security disability world, a claimant can still be found disabled even if their injury or impairment was not the result of a work-related accident. The Social Security Administration is only concerned about whether the injury or impairment will prevent you from performing any kind of work. Unlike workers compensation law, where a person can receive benefits if they are unable to continue performing their own job, a disability claimant must take it a step further and prove that there is no job in the local or national economy that they could perform.

We’ve had quite a winter thus far and traveling around New York has been an incredible challenge. But lets say you were injured while traveling in these difficult conditions and you are unable to work as a result. While you may not be entitled to workers compensation benefits since the injury occurred outside of the workplace, you might be entitled to disability benefits. Anything that might prevent you from maintaining a full-time job is relevant in the world of social security disability.

To find out more about whether you might be entitled to disability benefits based on your impairments, please log onto www.markhofflaw.com.

In several instances throughout the disability process, an attorney is not necessarily needed. It is certainly not a requirement. But if your application is denied upon an initial application, the next phase in the state of New York is the hearing level. Here, a Federal Administrative Law Judge will analyze the case and make a decision on whether or not you are entitled to benefits. An attorney who is well versed in the area disability law can be a world of difference in your case.

As with most attorneys, fees are associated with the representation of claimants, but the federal governement has regulated these fees. Most, if not all disability lawyers, adhere to a contingency fee system in which the lawyer is not paid unless the claimant receives a fully favorable decision. 

To learn more about what a qualified disability lawyer can do for you at the hearing level, CLICK HERE.

To see what changes the Social Security Administration has made, log onto www.ssa.gov. To learn more about the disability programs that Social Security offers, CLICK HERE.

LIVE ON BLOGTALKRADIO

Individuals applying for social security disability benefits are not required to hire an attorney. I know it sounds strange coming from a disability lawyer, but many claimants will choose to handle their own case. Whether they win their case is a different story.

On this episode of Markhoff & Mittman’s continuing series of live disability webcasts, associate attorney Scott Daniels will discuss the advantages of hiring a lawyer for your disability claim. Everything from case tactics to attorney fees will be addressed.

Markhoff & Mittman is an established name in the disability arena and we’ve been helping injured workers since 1933. As major players in the social security disability world, the firm has helped countless claimants obtain benefits.

To listen to tonight’s show, CLICK HERE for the live feed.

So what could this possibly have to do with social security disability benefits? Well, what if you are unable to sit in one position for long periods of time? What if you are only able to sit for 20-30 minutes at a time before you need to get up? Finally, what if the only comfortable position for you is lying down?

These sitting limitations directly go the determination of whether or not you can be placed into a workplace. More specifically, whether you can perform your last job, or if there is any other job you can perform. Inability to sit in one position for certain periods of time could preclude you from a ton of jobs.

Often times, Social security will deny you on the basis that you can perform a sedentary job. But if you have sitting limitations, a “sit down” job is not possible. For a great article on what “sedentary” is and how to avoid losing your disability claim on this, CLICK HERE.