How an Olympia Social Security lawyer can help with your disability case
An experienced Olympia Social Security attorney can be of great assistance with your appeal. A Social Security lawyer will assess your case and develop a plan to win it; gather evidence; and present your case to the administrative law judge.
Assessing your case
The first thing your Olympia disability lawyer should do is to sit down with you and listen carefully to your story. To represent you properly, your lawyer will need to understand the details of your medical condition, work history, and why you can no longer work. He or she should examine your denial letter to figure out why Social Security determined you were not disabled. Your attorney will also review your Social Security file to see what evidence the Social Security Administration has collected. Once your Social Security lawyer fully understands your case, he or she will figure out what you need to prove to win benefits and take steps to gather the necessary evidence.
Gathering evidence
Often Social Security disability claims are denied for lack of medical evidence. Developing your medical evidence is an important part of winning your case. The medical evidence includes your medical records and reports from your doctors. Yet, doctors are very busy and don’t always respond to a disability examiner’s requests for records and reports. And even when they do, the records and reports may be illegible, too old, incomplete, or they may not support the reasons you claim you are unable to work.
Your Social Security attorney can work with you and your doctors to help strengthen your medical evidence. If any of your medical records are missing, your Olympia disability lawyer can follow up with your doctors to obtain them. If you have symptoms that are not explained by your medical condition, your lawyer will suggest that you undergo further evaluation by an appropriate specialist.
A written opinion from a treating doctor carries significant weight. Your Olympia disability attorney can work with your doctor to obtain a written opinion that supports your claim. Even if your doctor has already submitted a letter, it may not provide all the information that Social Security needs. Many doctors need guidance on how to properly prepare an opinion. Your attorney can draft a questionnaire for the doctor to fill out that will enable him or her to address the right issues.
In addition to medical evidence, your Social Security lawyer can advise you about whether other evidence, such as school and employment records or letters from people familiar with your situation, could help your case and can help to gather such evidence.
Representing you at your hearing
Before your hearing date, your Olympia Social Security lawyer will meet with you to explain what your hearing will entail. Your lawyer will go over the questions that you can expect to be asked and give you some tips on how to give effective testimony. It’s important to tell the truth, describe your symptoms and limitations in detail, and provide concrete examples of how your life has changed because of your impairment.
Your attorney will also help you select witnesses (family, friends, co-workers, etc.) who may be able to offer testimony on your behalf.
Your Olympia disability attorney will be at the hearing to present your case persuasively to the judge. Your attorney will ask you questions designed to make sure that you tell the judge all the important details about your specific situation. He or she will also question other witnesses, object to improper questions or evidence, and cross-examine any medical and vocational experts presented by the Social Security Administration.
Assistance is available
If you do not already have an Olympia Social Security lawyer and would like us to evaluate your claim, give us a brief description of your claim using the form on this page, and we will respond promptly. Or you may email or call our office.
Law Office of Eitan Kassel Yanich, PLLC
Olympia Social Security lawyers
203 Fourth Avenue E.
Suite 321
Olympia, Washington 98501
