What you should expect to cover at your hearing
Understanding what you will need to testify about can help you prepare for your hearing. You will need to answer questions about the following:
- The medical conditions that have caused you to become disabled and the symptoms you are experiencing
- Limitations in your physical and mental conditions caused by your disability
- Any medical treatments and medications related to your medical condition
- Your education and job training
- Your work history
- Your day-to-day activities and how your disabilities have affected your ability to do them
Five Tips to Prepare for Your Social Security Disability Hearing
Being prepared for your hearing is essential if you want to win your case. Here are five ways you can get ready for it:
- Review your case with your attorney: You need to review your application, your medical records, and any correspondence with the Social Security Administration (SSA). This will help you remember what you have told them about your disability and issues in your case that you will need to address at your hearing.
- Prepare notes or a “cheat sheet”: You can bring documents to your hearing that will help you remember all the important details about your disability. Collect these documents, such as your application, medical records, and notes to yourself regarding common questions you can expect to be asked.
- Provide recent medical records: It is important that the administrative law judge has all your current medical records when deciding your case. Submit any up-to-date medical documents with the SSA before your hearing so that they are in your file and can be reviewed by the judge at your hearing.
- Obtain a written doctor’s statement: One crucial type of evidence you will need is your doctor’s statement about your medical condition and how it affects your ability to work. Even if you filed this statement when you applied for SSD/SSI, you should obtain a more recent one from your physician once you receive the notice of your hearing from the SSA.
- Retain an attorney from Burch & Rodgers: The best way to ensure that you are fully prepared for your hearing is to retain an experienced Social Security Disability lawyer to help represent your case. Laurie Burch and Kevin Rodgers can help you file your application correctly, provide the SSA with all the medical records and other evidence they need, prepare you for your hearing, and attend it with you.
Burch & Rodgers are North Carolina’s experts for Social Security benefits
Whether you need help applying for SSD or SSI benefits, we are here to help. If you are located in North Carolina, or anywhere on the east coast, hundreds of people just like you have trusted us to represent them in their cases. Give us a call on our toll-free number 800-662-8702 or fill out the form below.
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