Social Security Disability Lawyer in Andover, Lawrence & Boston, MA

For 20 years I’ve helped clients get the social security disability benefits to which they are entitled. I serve clients in Boston and throughout Massachusetts.

Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) benefits are intended to provide weekly financial assistance to people who have physical or mental disabilities which prevent them from working. SSDI benefits are managed by the Social Security Administration (SSA), and are funded by payroll taxes. Benefits can be either temporary or permanent depending on the disability.

SSDI Eligibility

There are two primary requirements that must be met in order to be eligible for SSDI benefits.

First, you must have worked for at least five of the previous ten years (or twenty of the last forty quarters), regardless of the severity of the injury or disability. Second, your disability must be expected to last at least twelve months from the date of onset. In fact, you will not be entitled to benefits until you have been unable to work for twelve consecutive months.

In addition to these two requirements it’s important to understand that the SSA will carefully consider the credibility of the treating doctor. The SSA may deny benefits if it appears that the claimant has been “doctor-shopping”.

Common Disabilities for Which SSDI Benefits May Be Paid

Common disabilities for which SSDI benefits may be due include orthopedic injuries, chronic pain disorders, mental health disorders, fatigue disorders, depression, significant soft tissues injuries that impact standing, sitting, or lifting, and brain injuries. The specific conditions eligible for SSDI benefits are not limited; once I know about your condition I can advise as to how I can help.

The Social Security Administration Process for Seeking Benefits

There is a presumption that all people of working age are physically and mentally capable of working. Thus the burden will be on the person seeking benefits to prove why they cannot work (and thus are entitled to benefits).

In many cases, benefits are denied to those who should be eligible simply because they did not present a clear and convincing case of disability. So, even if you were severely injured, just saying that you cannot work is not sufficient; you must support your claim with sufficient medical evidence to prove your case, usually around the types of tasks that you cannot do.

For example, the SSA does not just want to know that your back was severely injured. They want to know that you cannot lift anything over three pounds, that you cannot sit or stand for more than one hour at a time, and that you are incapable of operating equipment or focusing on work due to the effects of prescription drugs.

Helping Clients Get the SSDI Benefits to Which They Are Entitled

If your SSDI claim has been denied, please call me to find out how I can help.

Through my practice I am proud to have helped hundreds of clients obtain the social security benefits to which they are entitled, and to be regarded as one of the leading injury and disability attorneys in Boston. Call me today for a free consultation and to learn how I can help you. I accept social security disability benefits claim on a contingency fee basis, so there is no fee unless you recover.