Raleigh Disability Lawyer
Are you applying for disability benefits? Or has your application already been denied, at the initial or the reconsideration stage? A Raleigh disability lawyer team at Riddle & Brantley may be able to help.
With more than 220+ years of combined legal experience, our Raleigh personal injury lawyers fight tirelessly for people with disabilities in Raleigh, Wake County and throughout North Carolina.
For a FREE consultation with an experienced Raleigh disability lawyer, please call (919) 876-3020 or complete the short online form.
The consultation is free and there are no upfront costs or attorney fees unless we win your case and you receive disability benefits.
Call (919) 876-3020 today and let’s talk. We are ready to help. We offer a free consultation with an experienced disability lawyer. Justice Counts for you and your loved ones.
At Riddle & Brantley we fight tirelessly for the people of Raleigh, Wake County, and greater North Carolina who have disabilities and need help with disability benefits.
“We’re committed to fighting for justice and compensation for North Carolinians with disabilities.”
-Gene Riddle
Why Hire a Raleigh Disability Attorney?
More than 60 percent of disability applications are initially denied, and the appeals process can be complicated, time-consuming, and stressful.
A Raleigh Social Security disability lawyer can help.
Help with All Aspects of Your Claim
Studies show that 60 percent of those who hire a disability attorney are approved for benefits, as opposed to just 34 percent of those who do not. Hiring a lawyer at any step along the way to help you deal with the Social Security Administration gives you a better chance of winning your case.
At Riddle & Brantley, we can manage all aspects of your case, whether you are a first-time applicant or have been denied one or more times in the past.
A Raleigh disability lawyer can help by:
- Assisting in filing your initial application for SSD and/or SSI benefits.
- Filing a Request for Reconsideration if you are denied on your initial application.
- Assisting you in communicating with the Social Security Administration (SSA).
- Filing a Request for Hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) if your claim is denied at the Reconsideration level,
- Collecting treatment records from your doctors and medical providers and making sure all the relevant evidence is gathered and submitted.
- Obtaining supportive letters from your friends and family.
- Obtaining and submitting doctor letters and Residual Functional Capacity evaluation forms to support your application or appeal.
- Questioning and cross-examining witnesses at your hearing.
- Arguing the merits of your claim before the Administrative Law Judge.
- Following up on any additional evidence requested by the judge during or after your hearing.
- Appealing your case to the federal courts if your judge improperly denies you benefits.
- And much more…
For a FREE case review with a Raleigh disability attorney, please call (919) 876-3020 or complete the short form below.
There is no obligation, and you won’t pay any attorney fees unless we get you Social Security disability benefits.
Call (919) 876-3020 for a free consultation today.
We’re proud of the many favorable decisions we’ve obtained for North Carolinians with disabilities and invite you to review what our clients are saying about working with Riddle & Brantley’s Raleigh disability lawyers:
“They handled my case not only with expert knowledge but with caring and understanding.”
-D. Montague
“How Do I Qualify for Social Security Disability Benefits?”
The Social Security Administration uses a five-step analysis to determine whether a person qualifies for disability benefits:
#1: ARE YOU WORKING?
A person cannot earn more than $1,310 per month in gross pay in order to qualify for SSD benefits. This is a hard and fast rule; no matter how sick you are or how much pain you are in, if you are still working and earning at least this amount, then by the SSA’s definition, you are not disabled.
#2: HOW SEVERE IS YOUR CONDITION?
The SSA evaluates whether your condition is serious enough to significantly interfere with work-related activities (standing, walking, carrying, and interacting with others) in determining whether you qualify for benefits.
#3: IS YOUR DISABILITY ON THE SSA LIST OF PRESUMPTIVELY DISABLING CONDITIONS?
The Social Security Administration has a list of conditions that automatically qualify a person for benefits if they meet other criteria. You can view the list of disabling conditions on the SSA website. If you are no longer working and your medical records establish that you suffer from a listed condition, you will be awarded benefits.
Before moving on to Step #4, the SSA will review your records and determine what they believe to be your “residual functional capacity” or “RFC”. This is their belief as to the level of activity (physical and mental) you can still handle on an ongoing, day in, day out basis, taking your medical conditions into account. RFC is expressed in “exertional” terms like Sedentary, Light, Medium, Heavy, and Very Heavy. If you have any serious, diagnosed mental health conditions, they are also taken into account in terms of how much stress you can endure, how well you can get along with others, and how well you can maintain your focus on your job. Then, once your full RFC is established, the analysis moves on to the next step.
#4: BASED ON YOUR RFC, CAN YOU STILL PERFORM ANY OF THE JOBS YOU’VE DONE OVER THE PAST 15 YEARS?
If your disabling conditions do not meet any Listings and are still not severe enough to prevent you from doing any of the jobs you have performed during the past 15 years (because your RFC will still allow you to do them), you might be disqualified from benefits. If, on the other hand, your limitations DO prevent you from your past work, the analysis of your claim moves on to Step Five.
#5: CAN YOU DO ANY OTHER TYPE OF WORK?
If your RFC prevents you from performing your past work at Step Four and is so limiting that it also prevents you from transitioning into any other full-time jobs that exist in our national economy, you are likely to be awarded benefits. Your age is an important factor at Step Five. The SSA has a set of guidelines called the “Medical-Vocational Rules” or simply the “grids” that assume that as a person gets older, he or she is less able to adapt and transition into new and different types of work. The important threshold ages are 50 and 55; if you are at least that old and your conditions prevent you from performing your past work (or work very similar to your past work), you have a good chance of winning your case. This is one area of life where being older is actually better!
If you meet these criteria and are interested in applying for disability benefits or appealing a denial, talk with a Raleigh disability lawyer today.
For a FREE consultation, call (919) 876-3020.
There is no obligation and because we work on a contingency basis, you will only pay attorney fees if we get your application approved and you receive disability benefits.
Experienced Social Security Disability Attorneys in Raleigh
Have you been denied Social Security disability, or are you seeking an appeal?
Getting approved for Social Security disability benefits can be time-consuming and stressful. A Raleigh disability lawyer can help. We’re proud to fight hard for people with disabilities in North Carolina.
“You paid into the Social Security system your whole working life for the protection of these benefits if you became disabled. You deserve the benefits you paid for.”
For a FREE consultation with an experienced Raleigh disability attorney, please call (919) 876-3020 or complete the short form below.
There are no attorney fees unless your disability application is approved.
Call (919) 876-3020 and let’s discuss your case.
Justice Counts.