 Social Security Disability Hearings and Appeals
Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits (SSD SSDI) Attorney
Tampa Bay Florida, St. Petersburg, Clearwater - Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco Counties
Dennis Palso's clients not only appreciate his prompt and insightful service on their workers' compensation or Social Security Disability (SSDI) cases, they also value his ability to clearly explain the law and processes to them. Florida law is not especially friendly to the interests of people who have been injured at work. For a free and confidential consultation about your Social Security Disability case, contact St. Petersburg - Tampa Social Security Disability Attorney Dennis Palso. Dennis Palso, who has represented the injured and disabled in west central Florida for over 24 years, is AV-rated by Martindale Hubbell*, which is the highest rating this prominent attorney rating organization gives for competence and ethics.
| The Decision & Appeal Process |
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Primarily as a result of the number of applications, the Social Security disability decision and appeal process takes a long time. After your initial application, your application will be processed by disability examiners with a state agency under contract with the Social Security Administration. Usually within a few months, you will receive a written decision detailing whether you have been found to be disabled under the federal Social Security law and therefore entitled to benefits. If the decision finds that you are entitled to all of the benefits that you claimed, the process will end at this step and you will be awarded benefits. If not, you may proceed onto the second step, Reconsideration.
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If your claim is denied at the initial application stage, the written decision will explain why and will explain that you may appeal this decision to a different disability examiner by filing a notice doing so within 60 days of the initial decision. You may submit updated evidence if you wish. If the Reconsideration examiner finds that you are disabled and entitled to all of the benefits from the date you claimed, you will be awarded benefits. If the Reconsideration examiner agrees with the initial decision denying benefits, you will again receive a written decision detailing why you are not entitled to benefits and you may appeal this denial to a Social Security judge.
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If your claim is denied at the Reconsideration step, you may appeal that denial within 60 days by asking for a hearing before a Social Security Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). This is the first step at which you or your attorney may present evidence and legal argument at a live hearing before a judge. Before the hearing, the judge will be provided all of the medical and other materials gathered so far in the case. You may testify at this hearing and the judge will frequently ask you questions. Your attorney will help you prepare for this. Your attorney may ask you questions and may make legal arguments to the judge in support of your position. Within a few months after your ALJ hearing, the Administrative Law Judge will issue a detailed written order ruling as to whether or not you are entitled to Social Security Disability benefits and explaining his findings and reasons. If you do not agree with the decision at this step, the order will explain that you may appeal this decision within 60 days asking that it be reviewed by the Social Security Appeals Council.
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If the Administrative Law Judge’s decision is not fully favorable to you, you may appeal this decision within 60 days of the date of the order by filing a notice of appeal to the Social Security Appeals Council, a Social Security body in Virginia. That council will review the written decision of the ALJ along with any arguments you make as to why that decision is not correct and will issue a written decision to you or, in some instances, send the case back to the ALJ to have another hearing to fill in some gaps or consider other evidence.
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Federal District Court |
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Federal District Court. If the decision of the Appeals Council is not fully favorable to you, you may appeal this decision within 60 days of the date of that order by filing a lawsuit against the Social Security Administration in the federal District Court where you live. This is the federal trial court. Rarely do decisions reach this stage and when they do, this is usually the last level of appeals. In certain rare instances, you may appeal a decision of the Federal District Court to the federal appeals court. In very rare instances, the United States Supreme Court has considered Social Security cases.
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| Social Security Disability Insurance Info |
For more information about your Social Security Disability claim, contact Florida Social Security Disability lawyer Dennis Palso for a free consultation.
Florida Social Security Disability Insurance attorney Dennis A. Palso represents claimants for Social Security Disability (SSDI) benefits in administrative hearings and before the Federal Appeals Council in the Tampa Bay area, including Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, New Port Richey, Largo, Pinellas Park, Seminole, Palm Harbor, Tarpon Springs, Holiday, Dunedin, Gulfport, Pinellas County, Hillsborough County, and Pasco County FL.
* CV, BV, and AV are registered certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties, Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards, and policies. Martindale-Hubbell is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the confidential opinions of members of the Bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell Ratings evaluate two categories - legal ability and general ethical standards.
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