General

If you are thinking about filing for Social Security Disability you should do so as soon as possible for the following reasons:

1. It does not cost anything to file. There are no filing fees. It will take you some time to answer questions for the application but otherwise there is no cost.

2. Every day you wait to file for Social Security Disability may cost you back benefits. The rule is that you can only receive back benefits from 1 year before your application date. If you were disabled for 2 years before you applied this would mean you would lose 1 year’s worth of back benefits.

3. The Social Security Disability process takes a long time so the sooner you start the better. It takes over 2 years from time of filing till a hearing is held.

Any questions regarding filing for disability in Central Illinois please call Dirk at 309-827-4371.

The injured worker must prove everything. Including that an accident happened, and that medical treatment is related to the injury. The way to prove that your medical condition and treatment is related is to have your doctor write a report stating his opinion on this issue. The insurance company attorney can object to the report. This means the doctor must testify.

In Illinois Workers’ Compensation cases doctors do not testify live at your trial. The doctor testifies in his office and a court reporter takes down the testimony. Your attorney asks the doctor questions, and then the insurance company lawyer asks the doctor questions. The Arbitrator will read the deposition transcript after you testify, and she will also read the medical records and come to a decision.

Depositions often take some weeks to months to schedule because the doctor is usually very busy. The doctor has to take one hour to one hour and one-half for the deposition. Once the deposition or depositions are completed the case can be scheduled for trial in a relatively short time.

I found an interesting statistical analysis listing the hearing offices across the country and the average number of days required to bring a case to hearing.

Peoria, Illinois is one the offices that takes the longest. It is something like 130th out of 140 offices nationwide. There does not seem to be any correlation between the size of the city and the length of the delay. For example, St. Louis is not that bad for delays. The staffing of the Peoria office is probably much less than other offices.

In any event, Central Illinois Social Security disability claimants face a long wait for there hearing.

While we pause to celebrate Christmas, let us remember whatever our lot, our pain, our hardship, God has bent down and sent the greatess gift in Jesus. May the light of His most wonderful gift sustain us.

While we pause to celebrate Christmas, let us remember whatever our lot, our pain, our hardship, God has bent down and sent the greatess gift in Jesus. May the light of His most wonderful gift sustain us.