c/ca-disability-lawyers

Just realized the SSA form 827 trick for getting records faster

Waited 4 months for my doc's office to send records to my lawyer in Oakland. Tried the SSA-827 release form directly with my doctor instead. Took 2 weeks after that. Has anyone else had luck bypassing the lawyer's office for the paperwork? I was stuck at 70% denial rate before this.

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joseph_ellis85•10d ago

The SSDI reconsideration stage took 14 months for my client

I had a client in Fresno who filed for SSDI back in early 2023. His initial claim got denied in about 4 months, which is pretty standard. But the reconsideration step, that's where things went sideways. It took 14 months before we got a decision, and that was after three status requests and one call to our assembly person's office. The funny thing is the denial letter had the wrong date on it, so we had to fight about the appeal deadline too. Has anyone else seen reconsideration drag out like that lately, or did they just single us out for bad luck?

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sethhernandez•10d ago

The paralegal who laughed at my SSD call

Called a firm in Fresno about my denied claim, and the paralegal literally chuckled when I said I couldn't afford the $2,500 retainer. She said, 'Honey, that's the cheap end,' then put me on hold for 8 minutes. Has anyone else gotten treated like that just for asking about payment plans?

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the_hayden•11d ago

Went to a disability hearing in Sacramento and noticed something odd

I sat in on a friend's hearing last Tuesday at the federal building in Sacramento, and the judge spent more time questioning the vocational expert than the medical records. It got me wondering if that's normal for most judges or if some focus harder on the job market side of things. Has anyone else seen a hearing where the vocational testimony seemed to carry more weight than the doctor's reports?

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williamb29•12d ago

Chose a local firm over a big name, zero regrets so far

Last month I had to pick between a huge LA disability firm with billboards everywhere and a small office in Fresno that a coworker recommended. I went with the small one because they actually answered the phone on the first try. They got my paperwork sorted in 3 weeks versus the other place saying 2 months minimum. Has anyone else had better luck with a smaller lawyer instead of the big advertised ones?

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alice89•12d ago

Picked a big firm over a solo lawyer for my CA disability appeal, then switched at the hearing

Back in February I had to choose between this huge firm in LA that does tons of SSDI cases and a solo practitioner in Fresno who came recommended by my cousin. The big firm had slick ads and a website with all these charts, so I went with them first. They assigned me to a paralegal who was nice but I never talked to the actual lawyer once. For the initial denial they submitted the same old medical notes I gave them, no new info. Then I heard my hearing date got pushed back twice, and I got worried. So at the last minute I switched to the solo lawyer, and she actually called me on a Sunday to go over my functional report. She found a gap in my treatment records from 2023 and got my pain specialist to write a proper residual capacity statement. The hearing happened last Tuesday, and the judge approved me for LTD back benefits. The choice basically came down to who would actually fight for me, and the solo lawyer did in 6 weeks what the big firm couldn't do in 5 months. Has anyone else had better luck with a smaller practice for these appeals?

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jake_torres68•12d ago

Overheard a lawyer say SSDI cuts are automatic, that scared me

I was sitting in a waiting room near the 9th Street office in Fresno and heard a paralegal tell someone their SSDI award would get cut if they worked part time. I think that advice is too broad and it made me wonder how many people hold back from trying to earn extra cash because of one bad comment. My own lawyer in 2021 showed me the trial work period rules with the SSA and it was way more flexible than that. Has anyone else gotten conflicting info about income limits from different CA disability firms?

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richard_anderson•15d ago

Settled my case in 4 months, lawyer said I was crazy for not waiting

Last month I took a settlement at 55% of what my first lawyer wanted to fight for. He kept telling me to hold out, that the insurance company would fold after discovery. I switched to a smaller firm in Fresno and they had a check in my hand by week 16. My old lawyer called it a rookie move, but I needed the money for rent and my kid's braces. Longer doesn't always mean better when you're drowning in bills. Anyone else take an early offer and feel like they dodged a fight they couldn't afford?

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umar59•16d ago

Hit my 100th SSDI appeal letter, still getting denials

I've been through 3 lawyers in 2 years for my back injury case, and last week I counted 100 denial letters sitting in my file box. That number felt huge, but my current CA disability lawyer said it's actually normal for people to get denied 2-3 times before a hearing wins. Has anyone else tracked their denial count and found a pattern with what finally worked?

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scott.miles•17d ago

Paid $3,800 for a firm that sent me straight to a paralegal, twice

They told me the attorney would handle everything but I only met him once at the first signing. Finished my appeal myself after 6 months of them forwarding generic letters, has anyone else had better luck with smaller shops in Fresno?

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the_mila•19d ago

My Fresno lawyer told me to keep testimony short, that denial letter proved him wrong

Back in 2023 I hired a lawyer in Fresno who told me to just show up to the ALJ hearing and keep my answers short. He said the judge would see my medical records and approve me, no problem. So I did exactly that, barely said anything, and got a denial letter 3 weeks later. The judge wrote that my testimony was too vague to support a limitation. My lawyer never even objected or asked follow up questions. Turns out in CA disability cases, you basically have to explain your worst day in detail or they assume you can work. I switched to a firm in Sacramento that prepped me for 2 mock hearings, and I won 4 months later. Has anyone else had a lawyer who underprepared them for the hearing phase?

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cole994•20d ago

Paid a $350 retainer to a lawyer who never called back

Applied for disability back in March and figured I needed help, so I put down $350 for a consultation with a firm in Fresno. They took my info, said they'd review my file, and then went silent for three weeks. When I finally got through, the receptionist said the lawyer was too busy and I should just wait for the hearing. I ended up doing the paperwork myself and getting approved, so that retainer was basically a donation. Anyone else burn cash on a lawyer that just sat on their case?

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felix_williams71•20d ago

That 20-minute phone call with a retired judge changed how I read denial letters

I was griping to my uncle's buddy, a retired administrative law judge from Sacramento, about my friend's SSDI denial and he told me to look for the 'residual functional capacity' section first, not the reasons. He said most lawyers skip straight to the medical evidence and miss that the judge basically writes the whole outcome into that one part, and sure enough my friend's denial letter had a clear mismatch between what the doc said and what the judge decided. Has anyone else tried reading the RFC section before anything else, or is that just a quirk of us laypeople?

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the_eric•20d ago

Picked the smaller firm over the big name, still second-guessing it

I had to choose between a large disability firm in LA and a solo lawyer in Fresno who'd handled SSDI for 12 years. I went with the solo because he answered my calls directly, but my hearing is in 3 weeks and I'm worried about his caseload. Has anyone else gone with a smaller practice and regretted it or been glad they did?

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scott.drew•21d ago

The denial letter that cited the wrong doctor's report

My appeal lawyer in Fresno caught a mistake in my initial denial letter last month. The judge's decision mentioned a doctor I never saw, not the specialist who actually did my evaluation. He filed a motion to correct the record and the whole thing got remanded back for a new hearing. Has anyone else had a denial that had straight up false info in it? Seems like that should be grounds for a faster appeal.

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cora863•21d ago

Why I stopped trusting my disability lawyer's first settlement offer

Back in March, my lawyer in Fresno pushed me to accept a $12,000 offer from the insurance company, saying it was the max I'd ever see. I turned it down because something felt off, so I asked around and found a paralegal at the Social Security office who told me the adjuster had a history of lowballing. I pushed back, we went to a hearing, and ended up with $38,500 plus back pay. Has anyone else had a lawyer who rushed you to settle just to close the file faster?

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jake_wilson12•21d ago

Just realized my disability lawyer was more honest than my last three doctors

I had a phone call with my lawyer in Fresno last Tuesday about my SSDI appeal and he flat out told me my chances were 50/50, no sugar coating. It hit different because every doctor I saw for my back issues kept saying things like 'we'll try this' or 'let's see how you feel,' but nobody gave me a straight answer. He broke down the hearing process step by step, what the judge looks for, and even said if I lost he'd help me refile without charging extra. Has anyone else had a lawyer give them a realistic picture instead of promising a win?

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milessmith•22d ago

Overheard a judge tell a lawyer to cut the jargon in San Jose

I was sitting in the hallway outside Dept 102 waiting for my own hearing and this judge basically ripped into this disability attorney for using too much medical speak in his filings. He said something like, "if I can't understand it, the jury won't either." Made me realize how much my own lawyer's paperwork might be hurting my case, since I've been fighting for 14 months now. Has anyone else had their attorney simplify their language after a judge pushed back?

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harper693•24d ago

That one week my disability lawyer ghosted me right before my hearing

I had a hearing scheduled for a Tuesday back in March. Called my lawyer on the Friday before to go over my testimony. Nothing. Left two voicemails, sent an email. Monday rolls around, still nothing. Showed up to the hearing alone, told the judge my lawyer disappeared. He gave me a 60 day continuance. Never heard from that lawyer again. Anyone else get abandoned like that by their attorney?

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jade_johnson•24d ago

Pro tip: I used to go with the cheapest disability lawyer I could find

Man, I used to just pick whatever lawyer had a big billboard or the lowest retainer. Two years ago I went with some guy in San Diego who charged $1k up front and I got denied twice. Now I actually vet their track record with SSA judges and ask about their specific experience with chronic pain cases. Has anyone else had better luck with a mid-range lawyer over a budget one?

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felix_williams71•25d ago

Went from a big firm to a solo lawyer and got my claim approved in 3 months

I used to think you needed a big disability law firm with 50 lawyers to win your case. So I signed with one of those huge outfits in Los Angeles back in 2022. They assigned me a paralegal who barely returned my calls and I waited 14 months with zero updates. Finally I fired them and hired a solo lawyer my cousin recommended down in Orange County. This guy handled everything himself, called me every two weeks, and knew the judge's history in my hearing. He got my SSDI approved in just 3 months after the hearing. Now I tell everyone to find a smaller lawyer who actually pays attention to your case instead of just shuffling paperwork. Has anyone else had better luck with a solo practitioner over the big firms?

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wadem89•25d ago

Showerthought: That fancy disability lawyer put me off at first but actually came through

I was REAL skeptical when I called this big firm in Sacramento that advertised everywhere. Thought they'd just take my money and do nothing. But after 14 months of my initial denial dragging on, I caved and hired them. They actually found a doctor who documented my condition in a way the judge finally accepted. I got approved 3 weeks after the hearing. Has anyone else had a change of heart about a lawyer they almost didn't call?

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mary_foster92•26d ago

Pro tip: stop saying SSA is gonna approve you fast

I see people in here posting like they'll get a decision in 3 months and laugh every time lol. Back in 2019 my first claim took 14 months just for an initial denial. These days most folks I know wait 18 to 24 months easy even with a lawyer. That whole 'expedited' thing only works if you're terminal or homeless basically. I swear the SSA website makes it sound way faster than reality. Anyone else keep seeing these super optimistic timelines in posts here?

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wesley385•27d ago

Three months to get a simple SSA form signed by my doctor

I needed my primary care doctor to fill out a residual functional capacity form back in April. Simple stuff, just checking boxes about what I can and can't do. Three months and four calls later, the office finally had it ready. Then they wanted $50 just to release it to me. Anyone else run into doctors dragging their feet on these forms? How long did yours take?

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lee.drew•27d ago

Appreciation post: My lawyer's office looked totally different after 8 months

I walked into my CA disability lawyer's office back in March and it was a mess. Papers stacked everywhere, a coffee stain on the wall, and the receptionist looked like she hadn't slept in a week. Fast forward to last week and I almost walked into the wrong suite. They repainted the whole place, put up new blinds, and even got a water cooler with those little cups. The receptionist was actually smiling and joking with someone on the phone. Turns out they settled a huge case and used the fee to fix up the place. It made me feel way more confident about my own case honestly. Has anyone else noticed their lawyer's vibe shift after they won a big one?

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