What Are Bad Signs at a Disability Hearing?
You waited months or longer to reach your Social Security Disability hearing. The administrative law judge (ALJ) will likely send you their decision later. How can you tell how it went?
Your hearing with a disability ALJ may be the most important moment in your disability benefits appeal. It’s a rare chance to tell your story in person, and the rate of benefits approval is higher at this stage than at other points in the process.
So, what are the signs that you lost your disability hearing? You can never say for sure, but you could find hints in the questions and reactions from the judge, the testimony of guest experts and more.
On this page, we’ll take a look at indicators of how your hearing went and our top tips for successful disability hearing.
The Michigan disability lawyers at Levine Benjamin Law Firm have helped more than 80,000 people go through the disability claim process.
We know what a strong claim looks like, the good signs that you might be approved for disability after your hearing, and the bad signs that you might be denied again.
How To Have a Successful Disability Hearing
Your Social Security Disability hearing is possibly your best chance to make your case. How do you increase your chances of being awarded benefits?
There are no guarantees, but it can help if you:
- Have extensive medical records on file with the judge beforehand.
- Offer written statements from loved ones who have seen how your medical issues have affected you.
- Describe your debilitating symptoms in detail.
- Explain clearly how your health impacts your daily routines.
- Explain your struggles at work and difficulties performing job duties.
- Give answers that are honest and to the point.
- Don’t overplay your health issues, but don’t downplay them, either.
- Present yourself sincerely and respectfully.
- Have an experienced Detroit disability lawyer who can make sure your most important information gets attention and question medical or job experts who testify about your claim.
These are some indications that your disability hearing didn’t go as well as you’d like:
The judge seemed to doubt your testimony.
If the judge has a lot of questions that seem to suggest they think you aren’t too sick to work, that could be a problem.
The judge seemed to need a lot more information.
If it seems like the judge doesn’t have a lot of key information about your case, or they’re asking for details of your health problems that should be clear, that could show that your medical records were not comprehensive or convincing enough.
The expert witnesses pushed the idea that you could work.
A disability hearing can include testimony from a medical expert and a vocational expert. If they insist that your health problems aren’t too limiting, or there are different jobs you could do, that could influence the judge.
You didn’t have a lot of questions to shoot back.
You can counter expert testimony by asking them detailed questions and bringing up more facts about your medical situation and work background. This is where it’s particularly important to have a disability attorney who can do this for you.
What Kinds of Questions Can You Expect at a Disability Hearing?
You can’t control exactly how your disability hearing will go, but you can control how you prepare for it.
That means knowing what kinds of questions to expect from the ALJ and how you can make it clear that you should be awarded benefits.
The judge may ask questions like:
- What symptoms do you experience?
- How do you spend a typical day?
- Are you using your prescribed medications?
- Are you sticking to your treatment plan?
- What is your educational background?
- What kinds of vocational training do you have?
- What were your last jobs like? What were your responsibilities?
- Why can’t you work? What happened when you tried to work?
- Could you do a less physical job?
- How does your disability affect you each day—in chores around the house or daily self-care?
- Do you consume alcohol or drugs that could be hindering your chance to improve your health?
Every judge is going to ask different questions, but their goal is always learning about your health problems and how they affect you.
You want to answer honestly and try to avoid rambling or going off topic. Getting right to the point is always best.
Use every answer to show how your medical issues have impacted you. Be honest about the difficulties you’ve faced at work and at home.
Knowing a bit about what to expect is great, but the best preparation includes meeting with a Social Security Disability lawyer from Levine Benjamin who can help you make your case.
We help people in Detroit, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Traverse City, all over Michigan, and in Ohio and Indiana, fight for the disability benefits that bring back independence, stability and peace.
A Detroit disability lawyer from our firm can help you build the strongest possible case, and you do not pay a lawyer fee until you win.
From applying to appealing, we help you every step of the way.
Schedule your free consultation with our team today.
