Need SSDI attorney Cleveland are possibly

[E pots]

I've been denied.  My case is a bit unusual because a lot of my doctors notes from the first 5 months of my case I was pretending to feel better than I did.  I didn't want to lose my job and was trying not to get fired.  Also if my employer terminated me prior to paying my bonus they didn't have to give it to me according to my contract.  It was more than my entire annual salary so at the time I dragged my self in and at times could barely stand up and had severe chest pain and diarrhea but pretended to be ok for the 4 days spread over 2 weeks they had me come back at the end of FLMA. I even asked my doctors to write letter saying that I could go back to work.  I could exercise intensly but briefly at the time too which made me look very able.  I was an athlete.   Fast forward now and I have been for over a hundred days sicker than ever bedridden for about 2 months and extremely ill the rest of the time.   I am so much weaker now.  My strengths gone.   There's no way I can work but I have been denied.  I cannot imagine working.  Whats my best next step?  Local SSDI or another attorney.   Also my private disability policy that I purchased  denied me as well.  

[CJ65]

I’m so sorry you are going through this! I ended up hiring 2 attorneys, one for SSDI and one for my long term disability insurance company because I was denied multiple times. Regarding SSDI almost everyone gets denied the first time so keep at it. It is worth having a discussion to see what your options are. I am not sure what the rules are in Ohio so check before proceeding but in California  if you hire an SSDI attorney you won’t have to pay them unless you win and then it is a max amount of $6000.00 which comes out of your retroactive pay. Private disability  insurers will challenge your case and deny so if you can do it hire an attorney. I finally hired one after 2 years of trying to do it on my own and it was the best thing I did. At the very least they can advise on the best course of action. They also take over communication with insurer so you can focus on your health and not increase your stress level which makes you sicker! There are resources on DINET about disability that are helpful. Feel free to message me if you have questions. Good luck!

[Pistol]

@E pots - do you mean you have been denied by your long term disability insurance? Or by SSDI? In my case I was approved by the LTD but denied twice by SSDI. I had an attorney ( provided by the LTDI ) after my first denial. It is very common to be denied based on POTS symptoms alone - despite being bedridden, passing out and taking seizures even when lying down they denied me twice. SSDI goes by diagnoses - I was not disabled enough with seizures and also was not on any seizure meds in my first denial. The second denial was based on hypertension and tachycardia. Only when I - after 2 years - had an in-person hearing with an Administrative Law judge did I get approved. The judge was able to hear from me how POTS affects my life, from fainting in public when out of bed to being unable to cook or do light chores around the house to being unable to care for my child. All of this was not taken in consideration during both "paper applications", but he approved me 100% on the spot.

The most important fact to repeatedly point out is that our symptoms are so unpredictable that it leaves us extremely unreliable in way of being able to show up for work. Some days we may be able to do work for two hours and then - from one second to the other - become bedridden for days or even weeks. This makes us unfit to work in ANY fashion. My employer even sat me at a computer for only 6 hours 3 days a week and it was too much, I still ended up having to leave work due to fainting etc. And I was not able to do my job because of the brain fog that comes with cerebral hypo-perfusion. 

Another important thing is that you need to be completely on the same page with your docs. In most cases specialists do not get involved in the SSDI process - that is the job of the PCP. But the PCP needs to get documentation of all findings of specialists, and needs to be informed about all treatments and meds you try - this way he can document that you are not responding to meds commonly effective in treating your illness. My doctor wanted me to stop working before I did and he documented everything that kept me from working in his notes. When it came tome to provide that documentation to SSDI it was all there. Keep a record of all appointments and all letters your specialists send to your PCP - that way you know what everyone does. If you don;t agree with a specialists recommendation make sure you bring that up to your PCP. If you don;t have a good PCP - find one. 

I personally would absolutely look for a disability law firm. I did not go with a local lawyer but had a law firm from out of state that specializes only in SSDI - there are many reputable lawyers like that and everything goes via email or mail, so a face-to-face is rarely necessary, and of so it can be done online. SSDI lawyers do not get compensated until you get approved and get your settlement - their cut gets automatically deducted when SSA distributes your money, so you will not be involved in that process at all. 

Don't get discouraged or overwhelmed - it is a really long and frustrating process. Many people have to go on medicaid until they get approved - there is no shame in that. It's cases like yours that these programs are for. You are not alone, and it will all be OK. 

[p8d]

@pistol is absolutely correct. Having said that my case was 100% different. My neurologist suggested SSDI and filled out all the medical paperwork, I was approved first time and in 6 weeks. I think it was helpful that she is a dysautonomia specialist and knows her stuff and I was really, really ill. At any rate, this video is extremely helpful https://vimeo.com/434576980 It’s done by Dysautonomia International and features 2 SSDI lawyers that offer to answer questions via email at the end. I don’t know where they can work but it’s definitely worth the hour of your time. 

 

[Pistol]

Thanks for posting this @p8d 🥰

[MTRJ75]

16 hours ago, p8d said:

@pistol is absolutely correct. Having said that my case was 100% different. My neurologist suggested SSDI and filled out all the medical paperwork, I was approved first time and in 6 weeks. I think it was helpful that she is a dysautonomia specialist and knows her stuff and I was really, really ill. At any rate, this video is extremely helpful https://vimeo.com/434576980 It’s done by Dysautonomia International and features 2 SSDI lawyers that offer to answer questions via email at the end. I don’t know where they can work but it’s definitely worth the hour of your time. 

 

This is the video which  led me to my lawyer, who won me my case. Specifically, the judge said it was his line of questioning for the vocational expert (which was one question really, that she didn’t have an answer for) and the questionnaire he asked my neurologist to fill out that convinced her. I believe Michael is Ohio based too.

[CallieAndToby]

I couldn't read everything in thread b/c I'm pretty sick but I was denied 3 times by paper and eventually had to get a lawyer and go to court for hours trying to explain everything to a judge who knew nothing. I basically told her that there were days and weeks that I could not physically get out of bed and she believed me though she didn't understand the laundry list of diagnoses or symptoms.