c/ca-disability-lawyers

PSA: My disability claim took 18 months because I missed one form

I filed my CA disability claim back in March 2023 thinking it'd be a few months wait. Lawyer told me to send in a medical history form from my primary doctor, but I forgot to sign it. That one mistake added 9 extra months of back and forth with the SSA. Has anyone else had a delay like this over a simple paperwork error?

My initial meeting with a disability lawyer in Fresno left me cold

I sat down with a guy in a fancy office near the courthouse, and he spent the first 20 minutes talking about his car instead of my case. When I finally asked about the backlog for hearings, he just shrugged and said 'could be a year.' Wasted my whole morning. Has anyone found a disability lawyer who actually listens and gives you a straight answer on timelines?

Pro tip: I used to think direct exam prep was a waste of time for disability hearings

For years I just reviewed my client's medical records the night before and winged the direct exam, thinking it saved hours. Then a judge in San Diego tore apart my client's testimony over a 3 month gap in treatment records I hadn't prepped for. Has anyone else changed their prep style after a tough hearing?

Most people think Social Security has a cap on what they can earn in savings

I kept hearing from friends that you can't have more than $2,000 in the bank and still get disability, but that's only true for SSI. I spent 6 months not touching my savings because of bad info, anyone else run into this myth?

Appreciation post: Compared my first lawyer with the one I hired after getting denied

Decided to actually look at the win rates my first lawyer had vs the new one and that 40% difference was enough to convince me you gotta vet these people like you vet a moving crew.

Shoutout to my lawyer for catching a SSA math error from 2018

Ngl I used to just take my award letters at face value, but after a buddy told me to double check the back pay calculations, I had my lawyer look into mine. Turns out they missed 14 months of back pay from when I first applied in 2021. Has anyone else found mistakes in their SSA numbers?

Was dead set against hiring a lawyer for my SSDI case, but my wife pushed me and I got approved in 4 months

I figured I could handle the paperwork myself since the SSA website lays it all out. Spent 8 months on my own, got denied twice. Gave in and called a firm in Sacramento, they handled the hearing and had a vocational expert tear apart their denial. My wife found them on Yelp with 200 reviews. Got back pay for those 8 months plus ongoing. Anyone else stubbornly try to go it alone first?

Tried a flat fee lawyer for my SSDI case and got denied faster than with a contingency firm

I paid a lawyer $2,500 upfront in San Diego to handle my disability claim thinking it would save money, but they rushed through the paperwork and I was denied in 4 months. Has anyone else had better luck with the contingency payment model where you only pay if you win?

Overheard a lawyer say 'functional capacity' at my kid's soccer game last Saturday

A dad on the sideline was explaining to someone how the SSA measures what you can actually do in a work day, and it hit me why my first denial letter made no sense. Has anyone else had their daily activities get twisted around to make you look capable?

Threw $500 at a fancy disability lawyer and got burned hard

I paid a big law firm in San Diego $500 just for an initial consult on my SSDI case, and they basically told me nothing I didn't already know from the SSA website. They promised to handle everything but then dropped my file after two months because my condition wasn't "severe enough" in their eyes. Has anyone else wasted money on a lawyer who didn't even take your case to a hearing?

Question about how I used to handle SSDI evidence vs now

I used to just drop off a stack of medical records with my initial application back in 2019 (you know, the basic stuff from my GP). But after I got denied twice in San Diego, my lawyer told me I needed to get detailed notes from a specialist I saw for my back issues. Now I make sure to ask my doctors for specific functional reports, like how many minutes I can sit or stand before pain hits. Has anyone else had to totally rethink how they gather their medical evidence after a denial?

Three years with a lawyer and got denied anyway

I hired a disability lawyer in Fresno back in 2021. Paid them $400 upfront for the paperwork. After 3 years of waiting and them telling me to just be patient, got my denial letter last Tuesday. They never even asked for my medical records from my specialist. Anyone else have a lawyer just sit on your case and collect the fee?

Just overheard a lawyer say something about waiting too long to apply

I was sitting in a waiting room last week near a disability lawyer's office in Fresno and I heard him tell someone that waiting even six months after your condition gets worse can mess up your whole case. He said the SSA looks at when you first could have filed, not when you actually did, so delays can cost you back pay. I didn't realize that the date you apply isn't just about getting help faster, it changes how much money you might get. The guy he was talking to had waited almost a year after his doctor said he couldn't work anymore... and the lawyer said he basically lost out on a bunch of benefits. Made me wonder how many people just sit on it because they think they should tough it out or wait for a miracle. Has anyone else run into this issue with their own lawyer? What did they say about timing?

Hot take: Too many people confuse SSDI with SSI when talking to their lawyer

I swear half the posts I see on here people say they applied for disability but don't even know which program. I sat down with my lawyer in Fresno last month and he had to explain the difference for 20 minutes. It matters because SSDI is based on work credits and SSI is based on need, and your whole case strategy changes. Has anyone else had their lawyer waste a whole appointment clearing this up?

My disability lawyer asked me to document my symptoms with photos

I spent a whole day taking pictures of my back brace, my cane, and my face making pain faces. Figured I'd send them over and be done. Lawyer called me back and said I looked like I was modeling for a medical catalog. He just wanted a simple pic of my cane and my meds together. Now I just send one photo instead of a whole photoshoot.

Shoutout to my disability lawyer for catching a mistake SSA made on my onset date

I was about to accept a decision from SSA that gave me benefits starting 6 months later than I actually became disabled. My lawyer at a small firm in Fresno found where they miscalculated my onset date based on an old doctor visit I forgot about. He pushed back and got the judge to correct it, which was an extra $4,800 in back pay for me. Has anyone else had their lawyer find something their own doctor notes missed?

My first SSDI appeal took 18 months in Fresno

Honestly thought it would be a 6 month thing max, but the ALJ hearing got pushed back three times. The lawyer I hired said the backlog in the Fresno office is brutal right now. Has anyone else had their hearing rescheduled more than once?

Hit a surprising milestone with my disability claim...

I was dead set against hiring a lawyer for my SSDI case, figured I could handle it myself and save the money. But after 8 months of waiting and getting denied twice, I finally caved and called a law firm in Fresno. Just hit my first approval milestone at the reconsideration level and I'm honestly shocked... they got me approved in 3 months. Has anyone else seen faster results after switching to a lawyer?

Just realized those disability lawyer TV ads aren't all scams

I was dead set against calling any of them for 6 months until my neighbor got approved for SSDI after 3 denials doing it alone, and I finally caved and talked to one who actually got my case moving in 8 weeks.

Met a lawyer in Fresno who charges flat fees for SSDI appeals

Picked a smaller local firm over a big name disability lawyer and it worked out

I was torn between going with one of those big disability law firms that advertise on TV or a smaller office here in Fresno that a friend recommended. Went with the local guy because he actually returned my calls the same day and seemed to know the SSA judges in our area. Has anyone else gone with a smaller firm and ended up glad they did?

I finally got my SSA decision letter after 14 months of waiting

I noticed a lot of people on here keep sending in the exact same medical records without adding new doctor notes or test results. My lawyer told me we had to submit something new every 3 months or the judge would just see a stale file. Has anyone else had luck with a specific type of evidence that moved their case forward?

Tried a big firm then a solo lawyer for my disability case and the solo was way better

Honestly the big firm kept passing me between paralegals but the solo lawyer actually remembered my name and my whole medical history from talking once, has anyone else found smaller firms just give more attention?

Heard a paralegal give a client bad advice at the Starbucks on Sunset

I was sitting waiting for my order and this paralegal from a big disability firm was on the phone. He told the client to just "stop showing up to the IME" because the doctor was biased. My jaw dropped. That is terrible advice. Skipping an IME is almost always grounds for the judge to deny your case. I had to walk away before I said something. But it got me thinking about how many people get wrecked by bad info from support staff who aren't lawyers. Has anyone else overheard something like this or gotten bad advice from a paralegal?

Debate: Should you apply for disability yourself before hiring a lawyer or go straight to a lawyer first?

I read that over 60% of initial SSDI claims get denied, but I also found stats saying lawyers who appeal early get faster approvals. Which route worked better for you guys - going it alone first or paying a lawyer from day one?