A good friend and mentor had an old wooden paperweight on
his desk. On its exterior it read, “the secret to success.” When unhinged, the
interior of the box revealed the wisdom of its message – “HARD WORK.” As with
all things, hard work and proper preparation are absolutely essential if you
stand a chance of being awarded Social Security Disability benefits at the
initial level. Published reports reveal on average 70% of all disability claims
are denied on the initial application filed with the Social Security
Administration. While this statistic may be frustrating to most, there is hope.
To significantly improve your chances of winning your disability case the first
time around, it is absolutely essential to be prepared. Proper preparation
includes but is not limited to: current and updated medical documentation from
your treating physicians, thorough completion of all forms and documents
requested from the Social Security Administration, and medical source
statements describing your limitations in a vocational setting. Each of these
areas of focus will be the topic of future blog posts where I will go into much
greater detail. Some are of the opinion that the assistance of a qualified
Social Security Disability Attorney is only necessary if you are denied. That
position couldn’t be further from the truth. A qualified Social Security Disability
attorney knows the ins and outs of the system and will ensure that all
documents are requested and submitted in a timely fashion. It is possible to
get approved Social Security Disability benefits on initial application, it
just takes a little hard work and proper preparation. If you’re having difficulty with the Social
Security process, do not hesitate to contact me (cpozios@poziosfraser.com). I’d
be happy to help.
