If you’re struggling with health and financial problems in Grand Rapids, the disability lawyers at Levine Benjamin Law Firm can help you regain financial control.
Disability Lawyer Grand Rapids
Nobody can predict the future, much as we all might try.
In Grand Rapids, people do their best by working hard, saving money, and making smart decisions to be ready for the next stage in life.
It’s a proven path. But sometimes, things go wrong.
You hadn’t counted on serious health problems cutting short the years you planned to work, earn and save.
Most of us don’t see it coming, but it is common enough. In fact, Social Security Disability was created for this exact reason. Those monthly checks can cover living expenses while you focus on managing your medical condition.
The journey from getting sick to getting benefits, however, comes with no guarantees. Social Security is notorious for denying most people who apply for disability. The application process is confusing. Disability hearing wait times are long. Judges can be demanding.
You’re not alone. In Grand Rapids and across Michigan, thousands of people face the same uncertainty that fills the Social Security Disability benefits process from start to finish.
We should know: The Grand Rapids disability attorneys at Levine Benjamin Law Firm have been helping people just like you since 1964. We’ve helped 80,000 people.
Our commitment is to the people who make Grand Rapids one of the best places to live and work. We know Social Security, we know the local system, and we know the people of Grand Rapids.
From applying to appealing, we help you every step of the way.
What would you like to do?
You and your case can benefit from the experience of the local disability attorneys at Levine Benjamin.
Any Time in the Process, Get Help from Our Disability Lawyers in Grand Rapids
When your health problems won’t let you work, Social Security Disability benefits are a crucial safety cushion.
On average, people receive close to $1,800 a month in Grand Rapids and across Michigan to cover daily living expenses, medical bills, and other costs while you focus on your treatment and rest.
But needing Social Security Disability benefits and securing those benefits are two very different things.
The disability benefits process always starts in the same spot—realizing you can’t work due to changes in your health—but everyone’s case takes its own twists and turns. Here are the major stages in your case:
1) Qualifying—You’ll want to determine before you apply whether you will meet Social Security’s highly particular criteria for “disabled,” which means being unable to participate in “substantial gainful activity.”
2) Applying—You’ll want to collect medical records, pay stubs and other work records as you fill out the various application forms.
3) Denied & Appealing—When you submit your application, you can hope for approval but expect a denial. Social Security consistently denies almost seven out of every 10 applications.
At any point, you can seek help. The Levine Benjamin disability attorneys in Grand Rapids take on cases from the very beginning to the most advanced levels of appeals.
Call us when you have to stop working. Call us if you have already applied for disability benefits and got denied.
Our Michigan disability lawyers see people in Grand Rapids as neighbors who deserve a helping hand.
The Grand Rapids disability attorneys at Levine Benjamin know the local legal system and the local resources available to you.
The Advantages of Having a Grand Rapids Disability Attorney
There are many advantages to having a local, Grand Rapids disability lawyer attorney at your side when pursuing Social Security Disability benefits. Here are three major ones:
- A disability lawyer from Levine Benjamin is meticulous. Many Social Security Disability applications are denied for simple, overlooked mistakes. Mistakes cause delays in winning benefits—or derail a case altogether. Our disability attorneys take the guesswork out of the paperwork.
- We know the process. We prepare you for what to expect at every turn. We can explain deadlines and wait times. We stay on top of Social Security for you. In Grand Rapids lately, administrative law judges have been taking about seven months to hear disability appeals. Your lawyer will help you prepare to testify at this key moment, when you might have the best chance of winning benefits.
- We’re local, Michigan and Grand Rapids lawyers. That means we know the local Social Security clerks and judges. While Social Security is national, the application process is different from place to place. We also can coordinate with local medical providers who contribute to your case and local service providers you may need.
Administrators at government offices on Breton Road and Knapp Street handle disability benefits cases every day. Local administrative law judges hold hearings and decide who gets disability benefits and who does not.
If you’ve worked for years, and now you’re sick and can’t earn a living, you deserve Social Security Disability benefits. After all, for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) in particular, you paid Social Security taxes with every paycheck, and you’re supposed to be covered.
Let the Grand Rapids disability lawyers at Levine Benjamin improve your chances of securing the financial relief you deserve. You earned it, and it’s time to get some help so you can focus on your health.
What You Need to Win Social Security Disability in Grand Rapids
The goal of your Social Security Disability claim, in Grand Rapids and anywhere in the United States, is to prove that you cannot work because of health problems, and that this will be the case for at least a year.
To do this, you’ll need:
- Doctors’ reports on your medical condition
- Medical test results
- Medical imaging results
- Hospitalization records
- Records of procedures or surgeries
- Any other records from visits to clinics and treatments
You’ll have multiple forms to fill out describing this medical history, plus your work background and experience, your training and skills, and the limitations your health problems are putting on your day-to-day life.
You’ll need information about your family, tax records and financial resources.
Most people submit their Social Security Disability forms online. You can also apply over the phone or in person at a Social Security office.
It’s easier when you have a Grand Rapids disability lawyer like the lawyers at Levine Benjamin helping you.
We can make sure you get the right information for your claim and help you track down evidence from your doctors and other sources.
Levine Benjamin lawyers have years of experience coordinating with the health providers in the extensive medical community of Grand Rapids, such as Corewell Health, Trinity Health Grand Rapids and University of Michigan Health West.
We can guide you in filling out forms, so you answer questions the way Social Security wants and don’t say something that undermines your claim.
And we can make sure everything gets submitted to Social Security correctly.
Levine Benjamin is your personal Social Security guide in Grand Rapids.
Securing a Better Life in Grand Rapids after Health Problems Knock You Down
Grand Rapids is the kind of place where you should be able to enjoy your life.
It’s got natural beauty along the Grand River and easy access to Lake Michigan. It’s got a hometown feel with bigger city perks, like the great arts scene.
It’s safe and healthy for families. It’s affordable compared to a lot of other places.
No wonder it’s growing.
For people able to work, job opportunities are strong the city’s industries, from furniture manufacturing to automotive, medical device building, pharmaceutical making, health care, hospitality, agriculture and more.
But when you can’t work, a full life in Grand Rapids seems far away.
You need neighborly help in this neighborly place. Talk to the disability lawyers at Levine Benjamin.
With our long experience in Michigan, we understand local jobs and what they demand. We can show Social Security how your health impairments interfere with the kind of work you do in Grand Rapids.
Most importantly, we help you secure financial relief so you can get back to a more peaceful life.
As a hard worker in Grand Rapids, you deserve the resources you need to tend to your health and spend time on what matters, family and friends.
Let’s get you on a path to better times.
Talk to the Grand Rapids disability lawyers at Levine Benjamin.