SOCIAL SECURITY SUCCESS STORIES: Real accounts of successful disability cases from our files. (Names have been changed to protect privacy).
Rachael came to the Forsythe Firm after she had been denied several times for disability benefits. She had been denied, went before a judge and was denied there. She had filed a new claim and been denied. Now, she was waiting for her second hearing. She came to us for representation.
Rachael is an 18-year veteran of the US armed forces. She had served two overseas deployments. She has multiple medical issues that are not controlled by medications and has had several periods of hospitalizations. But it seemed that Social Security could not be convinced that she was unable to work. This may have been partly due to her age (under 50), which classified her as a "young individual" by Social Security.
We ordered updated medical records and obtained statements from Rachel's doctor. In preparing her case for trial, we spent a lot of time focusing on her functional limitations. We felt that Rachel would be unable to work any full-time job because of pain, confusion, dizziness and other symptoms that kept her off task.
However, we were concerned that she had already been denied three times. This was going to be her last real chance to convince a judge that she meets the federal qualifications for SSDI benefits.
On the hearing day, the judge asked Rachel a lot of questions about her past medical problems. She asked about her daily activities and why she felt she was unable to work. When my turn came to ask questions, I asked Rachel to describe her difficulties in daily functioning: things like driving, cleaning her house, preparing meals and shopping.
I pointed out medical history that supported her allegations.
About 30 days after the hearing, we received the judge's decision, which was Fully Favorable. The judge approved Rachel's benefits back to her alleged onset date under the new claim. She went a step further. The judge also reopened Rachel's older claim and paid it, too. This gave Rachel over two years of additional back pay. In total, her back payments amounted to almost $90,000, which she received in a lump sum. She also receives a monthly benefit and she gets Medicare insurance to pay her staggering medical bills. With Medicare Part D, Rachel is able to get her medications for a fraction of what she had been paying out-of-pocket. This was a life-changing victory for our client.
This is a case of getting help and not giving up. Social Security can be difficult and it can take a long time to prevail. Often, there are many steps on the road to approval. Usually, there are a few denials before approval happens. But you can't give up. And often you have to admit that you just can't do it yourself--so you get some help.
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THE FORSYTHE FIRM
7027 Old Madison Pike, Suite 108
Huntsville, AL 35806
CALL US: (256) 799-0297
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Our Email Address: forsythefirm@gmail.com
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