Social Security Disability Attorney in Owensboro

To qualify for benefits, you must first be insured under the Social Security program. Social Security makes this determination using a work credit system: you must have worked long enough and recently enough to qualify for disability benefits.

In addition to the Social Security work requirement, you must meet the agency’s definition of a disability. Generally, this means you have a medical condition that is considered “severe” (i.e., it prevents you from working for 12 months or more).

Take our FREE quiz to see if you are eligible for SSDI

There are four levels of appeal: Reconsideration, Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) hearing, Appeals Council review, and Federal Court review.

Only about one-third of first-time applicants have their benefits claim approved. The rate of approval at the reconsideration phase is even lower, at around fifteen percent. However, at the ALJ phase, your chances of approval increase significantly: in Kentucky, more than forty percent of claimants win their disability hearing.

An attorney can help prepare you for the hearing, request witnesses and experts, and present new evidence to the judge to review. Talk to a lawyer at our Owensboro office.

Waiting for a hearing before an ALJ judge can take around one year. Social Security recognizes that some people cannot wait that long and offers expedited claims processing for cases it considers “critical.”

Disabled veterans, wounded warriors, people with terminal illnesses, those with a “dire need,” and others may qualify for expedited processing. You may also be able to request an “on the record” (OTR) decision instead of waiting for an appeal hearing. A lawyer can determine your eligibility for expedited claims processing and help you take the appropriate next steps.

Around 90 percent of SSDI applicants seek the help of a representative at some point in the process. The law firm you choose to represent you makes a big difference. 

We strongly encourage applicants to speak with a Social Security disability attorney before starting the application process. And if your claim was denied, Morgan & Morgan wins Social Security appeals at a rate higher than the national average. No matter what stage of the claims process you’re at, we’ll investigate your case at no charge, and we only get paid if you win benefits.

All law firms are not the same. Find out why there’s only one Morgan & Morgan by filling out a free no-cost, no-obligation case evaluation form.