New York SSD Benefits Attorneys
If you are ill or injured so severely that you cannot work, the government has established two programs that can provide benefits to disabled people. Social Security Disability (SSD) is for people with recent work histories. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) may be available for people who have not worked recently.
Fischer, Bessette, Muldowney & McArdle, LLP , is a law firm that helps disabled people to get the SSD and SSI benefits they deserve. We work hard for our clients because we know the difference these benefits can make in their lives.
Why It Helps to Enlist a Lawyer as Soon as Possible
It is possible to file a claim on your own and represent yourself before the Social Security Administration. However, the attorneys at Fischer, Bessette, Muldowney & McArdle, LLP , know the ins and outs of Social Security Disability rules and regulations. With over 21 years of experience successfully representing hundreds of SSD and SSI claimants, we stand ready to provide you valuable assistance in proving your claim for benefits.
We encourage you to get us involved as early in the process as possible. This will allow us to frame your claim persuasively and accurately from the beginning. This often results in a favorable outcome with fewer delays. Further, getting us involved early allows our attorneys more time to get to know you, work with your medical care providers and present your claim.
How Do I Qualify?
The Social Security Administration considers you disabled under Social Security rules if you meet all three of these criteria:
- You cannot do work that you did before.
- You cannot adjust to other work because of your medical conditions, age, education and other factors.
- Your disability has lasted or is expected to last for at least one year or to result in death.
Typically, the Social Security Administration pays monthly cash benefits to people who will be or have been unable to work for a year or more because of a disability. These benefits are based upon your income while you were working, or upon other factors. Benefits usually continue until you are able to work again on a regular basis.
What Happens If Your Claim Is Denied?
Many people who apply for SSD and/or SSI benefits are denied at the application stage. If you receive a notice of disapproved claim, don't give up. You have the right to appeal to a Social Security administrative law judge (ALJ) and have a hearing before the ALJ where your particular disabilities and circumstances will be presented.
You also have the right to be represented by an attorney at the hearing with the ALJ. According to Social Security's own statistics, people are more successful at winning benefits when they are represented at the hearing. The attorneys at Fischer, Bessette, Muldowney & McArdle, LLP, will be with you throughout this process to:
- Analyze and present the particular facts of your claim.
- Work with your doctors and medical providers to obtain and present medical evidence to the judge.
- Meet with you and prepare you for testifying at your hearing.
- Question witnesses at the hearing.
- Cross-examine the vocational and medical "experts" who are hired by the Social Security Administration.
- Obtain and submit other evidence as the facts of your claim warrant.
Free Consultation with a Lawyer
In a Social Security case, a lawyer is not entitled to collect a fee unless the client is awarded benefits. The Social Security Administration regulates fees, and prior approval is required before an attorney can collect a fee. Generally, Social Security will approve a fee of 25 percent of past-due benefits capped at a certain amount.
Contact Fischer, Bessette, Muldowney & McArdle, LLP, for a free consultation about your Social Security Disability case.
With offices located in Malone, Tupper Lake, and Saranac Lake, New York, we represent clients throughout the North Country.
