Every Ohio Social Security disability case is unique, but one thing is certain: The Social Security Administration is a large bureaucracy, governed by a complex set of legal rules and regulations; consequently, the process of obtaining Ohio Social Security disability benefits can be long and frustrating. Many Columbus disability claims are denied simply because the claimant missed a deadline or failed to appropriately respond to inquiries from the Social Security Administration. At the Law Office of Eric A. Jones, our clients don’t have these worries because we know the law, we handle the paperwork, and we deal directly with the Social Security Administration. This leaves our clients free to focus on getting the care they need for themselves and their families.

If you are unable to work because of a disabling impairment, our Columbus disability attorneys can help you through every stage of the Ohio Social Security disability benefits process. Depending on the facts of your case, we may take the following action on your behalf:

• Gather medical and other evidence.
• File an initial application for benefits, a request for reconsideration, or a request for a hearing before an administrative law judge.
• Analyze your case under the Social Security regulations.
• Contact your doctors and explain the Social Security regulations, so that we obtain reports consistent with those regulations.
• Refer you to doctors (usually specialists) for additional medical reports to answer questions raised by the Social Security regulations.
• Send you to a vocational expert for a report on your ability to work.
• Request that the Social Security Administration send you to a doctor for a consultative examination.
• Obtain documents from your Social Security file.
• Review actions taken by the Social Security Administration.
• Ask that a prior application for Ohio Social Security disability benefits be reopened.
• Seek a waiver of a time limit.
• Seek a waiver of any overpayments.
• Request subpoenas to ensure the presence of crucial witnesses or documents at your Columbus disability hearing.
• Advise you how to best prepare yourself to give sworn testimony at your hearing.
• Protect your rights at a hearing by objecting to improper evidence and procedures.
• Cross-examine adverse witnesses at your hearing.
• Present opening and /or closing statements at your hearing, arguing that you are entitled to benefits under the Social Security regulations.
• Prepare and submit pre-hearing and post-hearing legal briefs regarding your case to the administrative law judge.
• If you are awarded benefits, make sure that the Social Security Administration correctly calculates your benefits.
• If you are denied benefits, request a review of the decision by the Appeals Council.

An experienced Columbus disability lawyer can help you present your strongest case to the Social Security Administration. If you would to talk with us about your Ohio Social Security disability claim, please complete the Free Claim Evaluation form to the right. We will respond promptly. Alternatively, you may call our office.

Phone: 614-545-9998

Fax: 614-224-9300

Law Office of Eric A. Jones, LLC580

S. High St., Suite 100Columbus, Ohio 43251

Proving your inability to work

At the outset, it can be difficult to establish your limited ability to work. The state agency decision-makers who review initial applications for Ohio Social Security disability benefits tend to rigidly apply specific, government-mandated formulas to determine a claimant’s residual functional capacity for certain medical impairments. Consequently, they tend to treat all claimants with similar medical findings the same, and seldom consider other unique factors that may bear upon an individual’s ability to work.

If your initial application for Columbus Social Security disability benefits was denied based on your residual functional capacity, do not despair. You have a much better chance of proving the disabling nature of your impairment on appeal, particularly if you pursue your appeal all the way to a hearing before an administrative law judge. Your odds of success improve because administrative law judges tend to look beyond the medical findings and take a “big picture” approach to evaluating your case. The administrative law judge will consider all the evidence – medical findings and witness statements, as well as your testimony and your credibility – and make an individualized assessment of your ability to work.

A Columbus disability lawyer can help you prepare for your hearing

Your hearing before the administrative law judge is your first (and, likely, last) opportunity to meet the person who will be deciding your case and to persuade him or her that you are unable to work because of your impairment. A Columbus disability lawyer can help you make the most of this opportunity, by explaining the hearing process and preparing you to testify. At the Law Office of Eric A. Jones, we will meet with you well in advance of your hearing to review possible questions you may be asked. We will explain the difference between strong testimony (testimony that is detailed and filled with personal anecdotes) and weak testimony (short responses, void of details). We will discuss your daily activities and make sure you are comfortable talking about your limitations. When your hearing date arrives, you will know what to expect, so you will be able to relax and give your best testimony.