After receiving a denial letter from the Social Security Administration in response to a petition you filed for Social Security Disability Insurance, your first move if you want to contest that decision will generally be submitting a request for reconsideration to the SSA’s Disability Determination Services (DDS) office. If the DDS does not rule in your favor, though, continuing your appeal will require you to request a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ).
It is very much possible to make a strong case before the ALJ and get your previous rejection overturned, but you will almost certainly have significant trouble doing so without help from a skilled Las Vegas SSDI hearings lawyer. At Shook & Stone, our attorneys have years of experience handling all kinds of SSDI claims and every stage of the SSDI appeals process. We can help you prepare effectively for your ALJ hearing in order to improve your chances of getting a positive result.
Where Do Las Vegas SSDI Hearings Take Place?
While there are several Social Security field offices located in various places around the Las Vegas metropolitan, there is only one Office of Hearings Operations, which is the section of the SSA that handles SSDI hearings and employs Administrative Law Judges. Currently, the Office of Hearings Operations for Las Vegas operates out of the Foley Federal Courthouse, which is located in Suite 4452 at 333 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, NV 89101. In some situations, it is possible to conduct an SSDI hearing over the phone or through videoconferencing software.
It is absolutely vital to attend your SSDI hearing at the scheduled date and time, since there is an extremely long backlog for these hearings and ALJs will automatically dismiss petitions made by appellants who do not appear for their hearing. If necessary, a Las Vegas SSDI hearings attorney could help communicate with the Judge and ask for a hearing to be rescheduled in the event of an unavoidable issue like an unexpected hospitalization.
Basic Steps in the SSDI Hearing Process
Aside from you, your legal representation, and the ALJ, the only other people who will attend a typical SSDI hearing are a court monitor and any witnesses you have called to support the evidence and testimony you plan to present. The ALJ will consider that evidence alongside the petition you have already submitted, which has received an unfavorable verdict from the DDS. They will also likely request statements from your treating physician(s) as well as a vocational expert to establish the extent and severity of your disability.
If the ALJ decides that you qualify for SSDI benefits, they can overturn your prior denial and you can begin receiving benefits immediately. If the ALJ denies your appeal, you have 60 days at most to request a review from the Appeals Council and continue the appeals process, something which an SSDI hearings lawyer in Las Vegas could also provide crucial assistance with.
Get in Touch with a Las Vegas SSDI Hearings Attorney Today
Unlike with criminal trials, you will not have legal counsel appointed to you for an SSDI hearing if you do not retain private counsel yourself. With that in mind, it is virtually always vital to seek help from capable legal representation well in advance of your hearing date. They can help you put your best foot forward and give you the best chances possible of a favorable verdict from the ALJ.
Assistance is available from a seasoned Las Vegas SSDI hearings lawyer at Shook & Stone. Learn more by calling today.
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