Social Security Disability Results

Our client’s back conditioned worsened and resulted in complex regional pain syndrome following a failed back surgery. We successfully represented her at her hearing and she was awarded benefits by an Administrative Law Judge. 

The Appeals Council then choose to review the decision of the Administrative Law Judge. The Appeals Council has the ability to review any ALJ decision and then reverse or affirm that decision. Our client’s decision was reviewed and remanded to an Administrative Law Judge and she had a second hearing where our attorney presented additional documentation of our client’s medical condition including doctor reports, medical evidence, and employer evaluations. 

Our client received a second favorable decision and was awarded the benefits she deserved.

Berger and Green recently secured disability benefits for a registered nurse in her 50s. Being under the age of 60 and applying for disability benefits can be difficult. The Social Security Administration will argue that the claimant can do some other type of work. Our claimant had been a nurse for the past 20 years. She was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease of her lumbar spine and with osteoarthritis in both her right shoulder and right knee.

These diagnoses cause her to experience chronic pain and limited mobility which affects the performance of her job. We were able to prove to the Judge that based on her conditions, she could no longer perform her job as a registered nurse and that she would be limited to a sedentary job. The vocational expert testified that there were no transferable skills as a registered nurse that would transfer to another sedentary position in the current economy. Our client won her case and will begin receiving the disability benefits she deserves.

Our Social Security Disability lawyers successfully obtained disability benefits for a young woman who suffers from severe mental health disorders. Because of our client’s age and lack of preparation in previous applications, she was denied benefits on several occasions.

Getting disability for mental health can be difficult, especially at a young age and without proper representation. Our attorneys worked closely with our client to prepare her for her upcoming hearing in front of an Administrative Law Judge. In this case, our lawyer’s thoroughness, dedication and patience paid off. We were able to successfully prepare our client and secure necessary medical records to prove our client was disabled and in need of these benefits. Ultimately our client was deemed disabled and awarded benefits.

Berger and Green recently secured disability benefits for a man who worked at a sporting goods warehouse. He had a successful hip replacement but was slower at his job when he returned to work and was fired because of this. Our client turned to disability benefits for his source of income as he could no longer successfully do his job.

Although his disabilities and work history made a compelling case for benefits, he was denied due to mistakes made by the SSA. His limitations determined by a consultative examiner were incorrectly interpreted by the SSA adjudicator, therefore he was denied benefits. Knowing this mistake was made, Berger and Green took the case to a hearing in front of an Administrative Law Judge. Our attorney presented the correct interpretation of the limitations and argued that our client was indeed disabled and deserving of these benefits. Because of our attorney’s knowledge and expertise in these matters, the decision was overturned. Our client was approved and is now receiving the benefits he deserves.

Our Social Security Disability lawyer successfully obtained disability benefits for a probation officer supervisor. Our client suffers from significant stenosis that affects his neck, arms and hands. After having the required surgery to help his condition, our client found himself still unable to return to work.

Despite our client’s disabling condition, he was denied at the initial level and reconsideration for his condition not being severe enough. Our attorney knew this decision was wrong and appealed the decision and requested a hearing in front of an Administrative Law Judge. During the hearing our attorney had to challenge the Vocational Expert to have them take into consideration the physical nature of our client’s job; specifically, apprehending, and subduing offenders.

Because of our attorney’s challenge, the Vocational Expert agreed that our client could not perform his past work, which ultimately led to the Judge’s finding that he was indeed disabled and awarded his disability benefits. At Berger and Green, we always stand up for our clients, making sure their voice is heard.

In a recent case, our client faced an adverse decision from the Appeals Council of the Social Security Administration, which overturned a judge’s favorable ruling on disability benefits. The Appeals Council cited the client’s past drug use as a reason for the decision, despite the clear legal requirement that drug or alcohol use cannot be a basis for denying disability payments unless it directly caused the impairing conditions.

Our client, dealing with serious physical and mental impairments, had occasional past drug use documented in her records. Challenging this decision, we requested a re-hearing with the judge, emphasizing the lack of evidence linking the client’s drug use to her impairing conditions. During the hearing, a medical expert appointed by the Social Security Administration testified that the client’s past drug use did not cause her disabling conditions and did not affect her ability to work.

As a result, the judge issued a new ruling in favor of our client, supported by the evidence presented. This decision was not contested by the Appeals Council.

This case has highlighted the importance of having an experienced attorney who can challenge unjust decisions and present compelling evidence in disability cases.

Our claimant was a 50-year-old LPN diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis, chronic pain syndrome, cervical radiculopathy, spinal stenosis, irritable bowel syndrome and migraines. Her conditions made her stop working as an LPN in 2019 and she filed for Disability Insurance Benefits.

While waiting for her case to get scheduled for a hearing in front of an Administrative Law Judge, she passed away in March 2023. Her hearing was scheduled for September 2023. We proceeded with her hearing with her husband as the testifying witness. He testified as to her chronic conditions and how her health deteriorated and how she experienced a significant weight loss and had a feeding tube placed.

Our lawyer was able to successfully argue that the claimant would have been unable to return to her past relevant work as an LPN and unable to sustain any other work in the national economy due to her disabilities. If a claimant has a pending Disability Insurance Benefits (Title 2) claim and passes away before benefits are awarded, we can still proceed with a hearing with the appropriate substitute party of the claimant. In most cases, that person is the spouse or children of the claimant. And if benefits are awarded, it will be from the Alleged Onset Date until the day of death. In this case, our lawyer never gave up, despite adverse circumstances, and made sure justice was served for her client and her family.

Our SSD Lawyers successfully secured Disability Insurance Benefits for a woman in her mid-40’s who had been diagnosed with Narcolepsy. Narcolepsy is not a common diagnosis; this can complicate the Social Security disability approval process. 

Our client was unfortunately unable to continue her career in the medical field and needed SSD benefits. The attorney in this case used the client’s subjective reports of how her disorder was limiting and provided detailed citations and analysis of medical records to support the position that our client was disabled and qualified for benefits.

Our Berger and Green attorney recently represented a woman with a number of serious health problems. Of her many doctors, her PCP was the most knowledgeable about the nature and disabling effects of her ailments.

Our attorney sent a request to the doctor, asking that she provide a letter giving her professional opinion of the current status of the client’s problems and their effects on her ability to work. He then received notice from the doctor denying the request.

Without this letter our attorney began to search through his client’s medical document file to see what else could be of similar value. After extensive searching, our attorney found a previous letter written by the same doctor. Knowing how crucial an updated letter would be to our client’s case, our attorney decided to request the letter once more and this time he found success.

After speaking with the doctor, it was unveiled that they had never received or denied our attorney’s first request, it was someone from the administrative staff. Upon learning about the situation, the doctor promptly wrote and sent a very detailed letter concerning the client’s impairments. Soon after submitting that letter to the judge, the client received a favorable decision.

In this case our attorney’s persistence and determination produced favorable results. At Berger and Green, we always go the extra mile for our clients to ensure they have the best opportunity of a favorable decision.

Our firm recently achieved a significant victory on behalf of a client who faced debilitating challenges after contracting COVID-19 in October 2021. Following the initial infection, the client developed long-haul COVID-19, experiencing persistent and severe physical and mental symptoms. These symptoms severely impacted their ability to work and maintain a normal quality of life.

Our team meticulously gathered medical evidence, including comprehensive documentation of ongoing medical treatments, evaluations from healthcare professionals and detailed reports of the client’s symptoms and their impact on daily functioning.

After rigorous advocacy, we successfully secured disability benefits for our client. This case exemplifies our firm’s commitment to advocating for individuals facing complex health challenges, ensuring they receive the financial support they deserve.

Our firm represented a younger client who struggled with debilitating migraines. Initially, their disability claim was denied, and a subsequent recon appeal also faced rejection. Despite our client undergoing various treatments, including infusions, nerve blocks and Botox injections, their condition persisted with severe symptoms.

At the hearing, the judge remained skeptical of our client’s claims and requested an independent medical expert’s review. The expert’s evaluation aligned with our position, affirming that our client’s condition met the disability criteria. The expert provided a written interrogatory confirming the client’s disability status.

As a result of the expert’s support and our attorney’s persistence, the judge reconsidered the case, leading to a favorable outcome for our client. This case demonstrates our attorney’s dedication to their client and the importance of expert testimony in disability claims involving chronic conditions.

Our Social Security Disability lawyers successfully obtained disability benefits for a man who suffers from the loss of several fingers, neuropathy and severe back problems. The loss of his fingers have made working nearly impossible. Despite our client’s disabling condition and proper representation, our client was denied disability benefits at his hearing in front of an Administrative Law Judge.

Our attorney knew this decision was wrong and wanted our client to know we believed strongly in his claim, so he appealed the decision to the Appeals Council. At the Appeals Council our attorney argued that the initial hearing’s Judge overlooked our client’s limited use of his hands. The Appeals Council agreed and ordered another hearing. At the next hearing our lawyer disputed the Judge’s initial oversight and was able to get a favorable decision for our client. Due to our attorney’s commitments, our client will now receive the benefits he deserves.

In the case of a 36-year-old claimant with a complex medical history including kidney failure, lupus, degenerative disc disease, neuropathy, depression and anxiety, the alleged onset date (AOD) was June 11, 2022, when she ceased working due to progressive kidney failure.

Although the claimant met the criteria for Listing 6.03 (SSA has specific criteria for certain medical impairments, and if a claimant meets the criteria, they are automatically eligible for disability from the date they meet the rules.) as of April 1, 2024—when she began dialysis and would have been deemed automatically disabled, we argued that her condition had significantly impaired her ability to work as of June 11, 2022.

The claimant experienced ongoing pain, fatigue, dysuria and depression that disrupted her work performance, making her off-task for at least 20% of the workday. As a result, we successfully established her disability back to June 11, 2022, rather than April 1, 2024, ensuring she received benefits from the earlier date.

This specific case involved a client with significant mental health impairments that severely affected her ability to communicate effectively during the case preparation process.

Despite these challenges, our dedicated legal team demonstrated exceptional skill and patience. Through persistent efforts and compassionate support, our legal team worked closely with the client to gather essential information.

Our persistent yet patient approach enabled us to compile a comprehensive case file that addressed the complexities of her situation. At the hearing, the strength of our preparation paid off, resulting in a successful outcome for our client.

This case highlights the importance of empathy and determination in navigating the complexities of Social Security Disability claims.

With the right support, even the most challenging circumstances can lead to a favorable decision.

Our firm recently secured a victory for a client in her 20s suffering from Long-COVID and requiring supplemental oxygen.

Initially, her claim was denied at the hearing, with the judge overlooking a crucial doctor’s statement we had submitted. Knowing this decision was wrong, we appealed her case to the Appeals Council. After a thorough review, the case was remanded back to the judge. On reconsideration, the judge awarded her the disability benefits she rightfully deserved.

This case highlights the importance of persistence and thorough legal representation in securing justice for those suffering from debilitating conditions like long COVID.