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When Should You Get a Lawyer for Your Disability Case?

Dirk May Help, Illinois, Illinois Social Security Disability Attorney, Illinois Social Security Disability Lawyer, Social Security, Social Security Disability, Supplemental Security Income

You can hire a lawyer to help you in getting Social Security Disability at any stage of your case.

However, the earlier you get a lawyer the more help they can be in shaping your case toward a winning result.

For instance, I like to meet with a client right away and help them file the application for Social Security Disability online.

Then we can make sure all the relevant medical records, medications, treatments and work history are reported to Social Security.

Once an application is filed with Social Security, you will receive a series of questionnaires.

A lawyer can help you explain in response to the questions the major problems you have and how they limit your daily activities. It is also crucial to describe the relevant aspects of your past work.

Social Security will send you to see some of their doctors. You need to understand why they are doing this and what they are looking for.

You and your lawyer will also need to work together to file timely appeals to any denials you receive.

When you are scheduled for a disability hearing you need to prepare your case and be ready for the questions the Judge will ask you and the vocational expert.

You also need to understand what you have to prove to win your case.

The good thing about using a lawyer in a Social Security Disability case is that the lawyer only gets paid if you win your case.

The lawyer is limited to a fee of 25% of the back benefits with a cap of $6,000. Since benefits during your lifetime may amount to over several hundred of thousands of dollars this is a small price to pay to win your case.

Questions about your case? Feel free to contact Illinois Social Security Disability Lawyer Dirk May with Williams and Swee at 309-827-4371.

The State of Social Security Disability

Dirk May Help, Illinois Social Security Disability Attorney, Illinois Social Security Disability Lawyer, In the news, Social Security, Social Security Disability, Supplemental Security Income

Trying to get Social Security Disability can be incredibly frustrating at times.

The tide is turning against people who have filed claims in the last few years.

From 1999 to 2003 disability applications ranged from 1.2 million to 1.8 million.

After 2004 disability applications shot up to over 2 million to a high of 2.9 million applications.

Awards on the applications dropped from 51 percent in 1999 to around 33 percent in 2013.

What all this means for people trying to get Social Security Disability is that it is getting harder and harder to win.

The people at Social Security office who are reviewing the applications are taking longer because there are more cases and not enough workers to keep up. So they do not have time to review cases as thoroughly. If you are denied make sure that you appeal because they may have missed something.

If you are denied and appeal, then you may ultimately end up in a hearing before an administrative law judge.

Approval ratings from judges have also dropped over the years.

Congress and the Media have been looking at the Social Security Disability program closely over the last few years and this has resulted in more cases being denied.

This makes it all the more important to be prepared to explain to the Judge why you cannot work.

This means telling the doctor at each visit your problems and how it bothers your activities of daily living such as sitting, standing, lifting and walking, and how it interferes with your concentration, or using your hands and arms.

You also need to be ready for the questions the Judge will ask you and know what to expect from the Vocational Consultant.

Questions about your disability case? Feel free to contact Illinois Social Security Disability Attorney Dirk May with Williams and Swee at 309-827-4371.

Your Wage Matters in Workers’ Compensation

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Illinois Workers’ Compensation settlements and awards are based on your wages.

For instance a person who was injured while working a McDonald’s and earning minimum wage will receive much less than a full time union worker with the same injury.

Awards and settlements are calculated using a percentage of the injured body part.

For instance, the back has a total of 500 weeks. If you settle for 10 percent of the back you will receive 50 weeks.

50 weeks times your average weekly wage multiplied by 60 percent determines what you will receive. The 60 percent of the average weekly wage is specified in the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act

An example of this is an average weekly wage of $500 times 60 percent equals $300. 50 weeks is multiplied by the $300. This equals $15,000.

Since your wage governs the size of the award or settlement, it is important to make sure that the insurance company has the correct amount when deciding your case.

Another important thing to remember is that if you have a second job and your first employer is aware of it, then it can be added to your average weekly wage. This will boost your average weekly wage.

Overtime can be added in at the regular rate if you can show overtime is mandatory and is worked on a regular basis.

Questions about your work injury? Feel free to contact Illinois Workers’ Compensation Attorney Dirk May with Williams and Swee at 309-827-4371.

Inflammatory Arthritis and Social Security Disability

Dirk May Help, Illinois Social Security Disability Attorney, Illinois Social Security Disability Lawyer, Medical, Social Security, Social Security Disability, Supplemental Security Income

Arthritis is crippling disease that can severely limit your functioning.

People with arthritis may be eligible for Social Security Disability benefits.

Inflammatory arthritis also known as rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that usually attacks the hands and fingers.

Inflammatory arthritis is a systemic disease that may include weakness and fatigue.

Diagnosing inflammatory arthritis is based on blood tests, xrays or MRI’s.

Different types of medications are prescribed for rheumatoid arthritis such as methotrexate or corticosteroids, and sometimes physical therapy.

Social Security looks at the severity of your condition and how it limits your ability to function.

It focuses on the ability to walk, handle, finger, grip and lift items.

Social Security also tries to determine whether your inflammatory arthritis interferes with your ability to complete tasks due to problems with concentration, persistence or pace.

Social Security will examine whether your inflammatory arthritis causes severe fatigue, fever, discomfort, or extreme weight loss.

You should document these problems through several different ways including medical records, your doctor’s opinion, medical tests, prescriptions for use of assistive devices, letters or testimony of people who help you at home and who observe you on a regular basis.

Questions about your conditions and whether you should file for disability? Feel free to contact Illinois Social Security Disability Attorney Dirk May with Williams and Swee at 309-827-4371.

Illinois Work Comp and Your Job

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What if you are injured on the job.

Are you stuck in your job?

The answer is usually, fortunately not.

The reason is that in Illinois the law requires employers to carry Workers’ Compensation insurance.

The insurance company must cover your medical bills, pay you while you are off work, and pay you for the value of the injury.

It does not matter if you continue to work at the same place, quit, retire or change jobs. It does not even matter if your employer goes out of business.

The insurance company stands in the place of your employer and follows you wherever you go.

However, it does make a difference when you have limitations as a result of your work injury.

For instance, if you may not be able to return to your former work then you cannot just retire or quit your job.

The reason is that you have to give your employer a chance to see if they can accommodate your restrictions.

If you retire, then you will not be able to make the argument that a lifting restriction will keep you from your former job and make it so that you can only perform sit down work or no work at all.

Questions about your work injury? Feel free to contact Illinois Workers’ Compensation Attorney Dirk May with Williams and Swee at 309-827-4371.