Baltimore, Maryland Social Security Disability Lawyer

Navigating the Social Security Disability (SSD) process can be overwhelming, especially when you’re already facing the challenges of a serious medical condition. Whether your application was denied or you’re just beginning the process, understanding your rights and the steps involved is crucial. From residents in Federal Hill to those near the Johns Hopkins health systems, countless individuals in Baltimore rely on SSD benefits to support their basic needs when they can no longer work.

At Miller & Zois, we understand how frustrating and confusing social security disability insurance can be. Our Baltimore, Maryland, Social Security Disability lawyers can guide you every step of the way, helping you build a strong application or appeal a denial to get the Social Security benefits you need. Contact us today for a free consultation and take the first step toward securing your financial future.

Applying for Disability Benefits in Maryland

Social Security will pay disability benefits to anyone unable to work because of certain medical conditions that are expected to last at least one year.

If you cannot work for a prolonged time because of an injury or medical condition, you will need to apply to the Social Security Administration (SSA) and get approved to receive disability benefits. The Social Security system offers two ways to apply for disability benefits:

ONLINE APPLICATION	Applicants can apply for benefits online through the SSA online application system.
BY APPOINTMENT	The application process can also be completed by scheduling a Social Security disability claim appointment with an SSA benefits agent at your local SSA office or by telephone interview. Appointments can be scheduled online or by calling SSA at 800-772-1213.

To complete the application process, you must submit detailed information about your personal and work history. You will also need to provide a detailed explanation of your qualifying medical condition along with your medical records and treatment information to prove it. The SSA provides a checklist for disability applications that explains what you will need.

Qualifying for Disability Benefits in Maryland

To qualify for SSA disability compensation, applicants need to prove that they are not able to work full-time because they have a medical condition that is recognized by SSA as a severe “impairment” that qualifies as a disability.

The first step in this qualifying process involves submitting the required medical information to prove that you actually have a medical condition. This involves providing detailed information about your medical history, treatment, and diagnosis in the benefits application. Applicants are also required to give SSA authorization to contact doctors and healthcare providers to obtain medical records and verify the applicant’s diagnosis.

Once the applicant’s medical condition is verified, the agency must decide whether it qualifies as an impairment under SSA’s listing of recognized impairments. SSA’s listing of recognized impairments (sometimes referred to as the “Blue Book”) describes medical conditions that SSA considers severe enough to prevent a person from working and qualify as disabled.

If an applicant has a medical condition listed in the Blue Book, they will automatically have a qualifying disability.

If the applicant’s condition does not meet the criteria for any condition listed in the SSA Blue Book, the agency must make an independent determination as to whether it qualifies as a disability. For a non-listed condition to qualify as a disability, the agency must find that the applicant’s condition prevents them from doing any type of work.

This is usually very difficult to establish. If a medical condition does not meet the criteria for something listed in the SSA Blue Book, the application will almost always be denied.

Social Security Disability Appeals

If your application for disability benefits is denied (whether for medical or non-medical reasons), you can appeal that decision. To file an appeal of a disability denial, an applicant must submit an appeal request form within 60 days of the denial. There are four potential levels of appeal for a denial of disability benefits:

• Reconsideration: The first level of appeal is called a reconsideration. This involves a complete review of the disability application by a new examiner not involved in the original denial. It is basically like a second chance at the original application. New evidence can be submitted and considered in the reconsideration.
• ALJ Hearing: If the reconsideration results in another denial, applicants can request a second level of appeal that involves a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). The hearing with an ALJ is similar to a courtroom trial in that applicants can testify and call witnesses (such as medical experts) to testify in support of their application for benefits. It is less formal than the Maryland Circuit Court.
• SSA Appeals Council: An applicant can appeal an ALJ ruling by requesting another review of that decision by the Social Security Appeals Council. The Appeals Council can deny the appeal request if it believes that the ALJ may have made the correct decision. If the Appeals Council elects to review a case, it can issue its own decision or remand the case back to the ALJ.
• Federal Court Appeal: if an applicant has exhausted all levels of administrative appeals at the SSA, they can bring an action in federal district court and ask for judicial review of the benefit denial.

Our Baltimore, Maryland Social Security Disability Attorneys Can Help You Get Benefits

All applicants making claims for social security have the right to be represented by an attorney. You can get an attorney to represent you from the very beginning of the application process or at any level of appeal. Hiring a Maryland Social Security lawyer in Baltimore to represent you will significantly improve your chances of getting approved for benefits.

Our attorneys have experience and a track record of success. While we cannot guarantee that your application for disability benefits will get approved, we can ensure that you present the best possible case for approval at all stages.

Statistics show that hiring a lawyer can significantly improve an applicant’s chances of being awarded social security disability benefits. Disability applicants who went to an Administrative Law Judge Hearing were more than twice as likely (54%) to get approved for benefits when they were represented by a lawyer.

Our Disability Lawyers Cost Nothing Upfront and Only Get Paid if We Win

Hiring our Maryland Social Security disability lawyer to handle your application or appeal will not cost you any money upfront. Disability lawyers work on a contingency fee basis which means they get a percentage of any benefit payments awarded if they win your claim. If you don’t win, you don’t owe us anything.

For an SSA benefit case, we receive 25% of any back payments that SSA awards you after approving your application for benefits. So if our attorneys win your ALJ appeal and you end up getting awarded $10,000 in back benefit payments, we would receive $2,500. This percentage fee gets automatically deducted and paid to us by the SSA. The SSA also caps this 25% fee at a maximum of $6,000. This means the most of our 25% could ever be is $6,000, no matter how much we recover.

Baltimore, Maryland Social Security Disability Lawyer FAQs

Hiring an SSA Disability Lawyer in Baltimore

If you have an SSA disability claim and need a Social Security lawyer in Baltimore, Maryland, call us at 800-553-8082 or get a free online case review.