DISABILITY BENEFIT RECOVERY

If you are age 50 or over, you may qualify for Social Security benefits for any physical or mental condition which prevents you from full-time work. Yes, younger individuals may also qualify.  However, Social Security uses Medical-Vocational Guidelines which relax the requirements somewhat for persons age 50 and over. In addition to your age, other factors include your past work experience and education.  But being age 50 or more is the greatest single advantage a claimant has in being approved for Social Security benefits. The Forsythe Firm will provide you with a free case evaluation and local consultation.  If we represent you, you will never pay a fee until you get benefits with back payments.  If you do not win benefits you will never pay us a fee for any service we perform. Contact us at (256) 799-0297.  We're located across from Bridge Street.

The Social Security Act provides benefits for workers who are disabled.  It does not provide benefits to workers who cannot find a job.  There is huge distinction. The following are EMPLOYMENT PROBLEMS,not covered by the Social Security Act; therefore, no benefits are payble for any of these situations: Nobody will hire me. There are no jobs open in my neighborhood. My job skills are ancient and no longer in demand. The economy has tanked. The work I used to do is now performed by machines (automation). The type of jobs I could once get have moved to Mexico or Asia.  Employers only see me as a liability. I repeat that the above type of reasoning relates to unemployment and has nothing to do with disability or Social Security.   I must have a strategy to win Social Security disability and my strategy must focus on  Why I Am Disabled , not Why I Can't Get a Job.  Why I am disabled must, therefore, focus on what I can and cannot do in ...

"The patient is doing well." Doctors love to write this in their patients' medical records.  Sometimes they write, "The patient is improving," or "Ms. Public continues to improve with her new medications." The problem is that low-paying administrative law judges sometimes seize upon these statements to justify a denial of disability benefits.  I've seen judges use such statements by doctors to justify a finding that the claimant's symptoms are not as severe as alleged. How do we deal with the common phrase, "Mr. Smith is doing well"?  Consider the following: "Doing well" is a relative statement.  Doing well compared to what?  Mr. Smith may not be constantly suicidal since he started his new medicine, and the doctor may feel that this is "doing well." Mr. Smith's pain level may have dropped from a 9 to a 7 with a combination of Norco, Lortab, Ibuprofen and Flexeril.  Some doctors may call that "im...

You may have heard that Social Security disability hearings are "informal" and "non-adversarial" and therefore, you may conclude that you can easily represent yourself.  Here are some problems you should be aware of before deciding to represent yourself. Everyone else in the hearing will be a highly trained, experienced professional.  The judge will be a highly trained and experienced professional and so will the the vocational witness.  If there is a medical expert (ME), the doctor will obviously be well trained.  You may be the only person in the hearing who lacks experience, training and familiarity with Social Security's rules, regulations and procedures--a bad spot to be in.  You will have to prove your case according to the rules and regulations that govern the US  Social Security disability program, just as you would have to prove your case in any court of law. There are thousands of pages of rules and regulations.  For example:  Me...