Sunday, October 29, 2006

What can I do to improve my chances of winning my Social Security disability or SSI claim?

Be honest and complete when you give information to Social Security.

Some people go to extremes. One judge related a story where a man told Social Security that he could not raise his right arm. Then, at the hearing, the man raised his right arm when he took the oath to testify truthfully. Probably what was true was that the man had trouble raising his right arm. That's what he should have said.

Some people fail to mention their psychiatric problems to Social Security because they are embarrassed about them. Someone who has trouble reading or writing may fail to mention this fact to Social Security.

Besides being honest and complete with Social Security, the most important thing that you can do is just keep appealing and hire an experienced lawyer to represent you. It is important to appeal because a lot of people are denied at the initial level, but approved at higher levels of review. It is important to hire an attorney to represent you because you do not understand the way Social Security works. People who use an attorney are much more likely to win than those who go it alone.

At Cannon & Anderson, we do not charge a fee to meet with you and evaluate your case. For people trying to get disability benefits, we do not charge a fee unless we win your case. You can always call to make an appointment to see us at (865) 522-9000. We handle cases for people all across East Tennesee.

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