Columbus Long Term Disability Lawyer

Long-term disabilities can leave you unable to work. Without consistent income, you may have difficulty paying the bills. You don’t need to deal with your disability alone, though. 

If you are disabled, you and your family may qualify for financial support. Our Columbus long term disability lawyers at Berger and Green can provide you with legal support and help you secure disability benefits.

We Can Help You

Laurence B. Green and Cindy Berger, founding partners at our firm, each have 40 years of legal experience. We can use this legal acumen to help you secure disability benefits. This support comes in many forms:

• We can review your initial application.
• We negotiate with insurers and other involved parties on your behalf.
• We can file a reconsideration and appeal if your claim is denied.
• We can ensure that your best interests are represented during the filing process.
• We can help you re-file or initiate an appeal if your claim was denied.

Our team is prepared to handle any curveballs that may occur during your case. We work to ensure that we are updated on any changes to the disability insurance process. 

Testimonials

Testimonials from our clients demonstrate our commitment to providing support to those with disabilities:

• • “Berger and Green helped award me social security disability. They were the most easiest and kindest. They worked with me from the beginning and walked me through each step of the way. Berger and Green helped my wife and I achieve financial help for my mental and physical disability.” – Travis M.

• “These are the best attorneys for SSDI. They did everything for me! I would highly recommend this law firm. They constantly keep you informed and explain the entire process to you.” – Colleen W.

Is This Kind of Legal Support Expensive?

Dealing with a long-term disability can be costly. In addition to lost wages, you may have to pay for expensive medical treatment for your condition. At Berger and Green, we employ a pricing plan that removes stress from the equation:

• Free case evaluations: Initial contact with our legal team is free of cost. We’ll work to understand the details of your case for free.
• Contingency fee pricing: At Berger and Green, we work on contingency. This means that we won’t receive payment unless we win your case.

This pricing plan means that choosing a Columbus long term disability attorney from Berger and Green is risk-free. You won’t need to pay a cent upfront for our services.

Common Forms of Long-Term Disability

Long-term disabilities can come in many forms. These are a few kinds of disabilities that could prevent you from participating in the workforce:

• Arthritis or another similar musculoskeletal issue.
• Chronic back pain.
• Blindness.
• Cancer.
• Heart disease. 
• Paralysis.
• Mental health issues, like depression, or PTSD.

There are many other conditions that can prevent you from working. Generally, though, if your disability has kept you from holding a job, you should consider filing for disability insurance. If you’re unsure if your disability qualifies you for long-term benefits, our Columbus attorneys at Berger and Green can assist you.

Qualifying for Disability Insurance in Columbus, OH

There are two primary social security disability programs available to residents of Columbus, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). 

Social Security Disability Insurance

SSDI is designed for those with previous work experience. If you suffered an injury that made you disabled before retirement age, SSDI will most likely apply to your case.

To qualify for SSDI you must have a proven track record of previous work experience. This work experience is calculated by determining individual work credit amounts. 

Supplemental Security Income

SSI is for those with insignificant work experience, or a low income. To qualify you must have a disability, few assets, and little income from any source.

These forms of financial support have different application processes. Our team can help you understand which form of insurance or income applies best to your situation. 

 Proving Eligibility for Disability Insurance

The above qualifications, which deal with basic eligibility, are called technical qualifications. In addition to meeting these criteria, your medical records must demonstrate that you have a disability. 

These are some common kinds of medical documentation considered in a case analysis:

• Medical imaging, like x-rays, MRIs, or CAT scans.
• Documentation of a surgical procedure.
• Documentation of mental illness.
• Test results from a medical laboratory.
• Statements from your physician.

Luckily, you don’t need to comb through your medical records on your own. Instead, you’ll provide the contact information of your physician or physicians to the examiner assigned to your case. 

How Does the SSA Determine if I Am Eligible?

There are two approaches that the Social Security Administration (SSA) will use to analyze your case:

Published Impairment Listing

To determine if someone qualifies as disabled or impaired, the SSA consults the Blue Book. The Blue Book has a list of agreed-upon impairments and disabilities. If your medical records match a disability in the “blue book”, your disability insurance application will likely be approved. 

Residual Functional Capacity

If you don’t meet the criteria in the “blue book”, you can still secure disability insurance. The SSA uses a metric called residual functional capacity to determine your ability to work. Usage of this metric involves consulting your doctor and your medical records. If the SSA finds that you are unable to work through a residual functional capacity analysis, you may qualify for disability insurance. 

During this portion of the application process, we can offer you support in several ways:

• We can review your application and identify any gaps that it may have.
• We can answer any questions you may have about the application process.
• If your claim was denied, we can help you initiate the reconsideration process.

A Columbus long-term disability attorney can help you further determine your eligibility.

What if My Claim Was Denied?

If your claim was denied, there’s a four-step process for disputing your denial:

• Reconsideration
• An appeal hearing, which involves an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ)
• A review by the Appeals Council
• A lawsuit filed in the District Court for Southern Ohio, which serves Columbus

This process can be complex. Luckily, though, well-qualified candidates frequently see their case approved without going through each step.

At Berger and Green, we’re well versed in fighting for our long-term disability clients. We have the courtroom advocacy experience to support you if your case necessitates courtroom time.

We Are Here To Support You

Let us put our legal expertise to work for you. We can support you every step of the way, whether you’re starting your first filing or your claim was denied. You can submit an application for a case evaluation online or give us a call to get started with a Columbus long term disability lawyer.