Denied SSDI Benefits? Attorneys at Prato & Reichman can help appeal your claim!

We represent hard working people who have been injured to help them get the benefits they paid for with Social Security withholding. Social Security Disability Insurance (“SSDI”) is not a handout. It is insurance that you paid for with your Social Security withholding to provide for you in case you are injured.

Prato & Reichman, APC, will assign a licensed attorney to head up your case. Your advocate will help you negotiate the complex bureaucracy of the Social Security Administration throughout the application or appeal process. At Prato & Reichman you will get the representation you need to ensure you present a solid case for benefits.

If you have a medically determinable physical or psychological injury which will or has lasted for 12 or more months, obtaining SSDI is a five step process. One must show all of the following:

1. The claimant is not engaging in “substantial gainful activity”;
2. has a “severe” impairment;
3. the impairment’s effects must equal or exceed one of the impairments recognized by the Social Security Administration Listing of Impairments;
4. considering what the claimant can still do with the impairment, the claimant cannot do “past relevant work”, the jobs the claimant has had over the past few years;
5. considering what the claimant can still do with the impairment, the claimant is not able to do jobs that exist in the “national economy in significant numbers”.

These specialized terms and legal standards have many complex meanings and many people do not apply for SSDI or appeal denials out of confusion or because they apply “common sense” explanations of them. The law and “common sense” are not always the same. For example, there are situations where a person who is still working in some capacity is still impaired and can collect SSDI. Also, while 65% of applicants are denied benefits, of those who appeal the decision after retaining legal counsel, more than half ultimately obtain benefits.

Prato & Reichman will work with you to move past myths and evaluate your claim and prosecute your claim if it is meritorious.  We have provided Social Security Resources links on this page for your review.

To have your special scenario reviewed by our staff, please fill out the free consultation request form. 

Thank you.