Pittsburgh SSD, SSI and SSDI Claims Attorney
Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and serving clients throughout southwestern Pennsylvania and parts of Ohio and West Virginia, the Law Offices of Karl E. Osterhout, LLC, provides you with experienced representation in handling Social Security Disability claims. Our firm practices only Social Security Disability law. We have handled more than 20,000 SSD claims over the course of two decades, and we want to help you.
For a free consultation to discuss your SSD or SSI claim with an experienced Pittsburgh Social Security Disability attorney, call the Law Offices of Karl E. Osterhout, LLC, toll free at 1-866-759-7649.
Do I Need an Attorney for My SSD, SSI or SSDI Claim?
Strictly speaking, you do not need an attorney. The procedures followed in Social Security Disability hearings and the general issues in these cases are not impossible to understand. As recently as 1980, attorneys were involved in only 20 percent to 30 percent of the hearings.
However, beginning in the early 1980s there were a number of changes in the law that added to its complexity, and those changes (in the form of changes to the Social Security Act, Regulations and Social Security Rulings) continue to this day. Claimants who are not represented at their hearing before the administrative law judge (ALJ) are denied twice as often as those who are represented.
So, the decision about whether you "need an attorney" is up to you, but let us tell you some of the things we can do to put your case in its best light and increase your chances of succeeding in your claim:
- Gather medical and other evidence
- Contact your doctor(s) to obtain a report of your medical condition that is geared directly to Social Security Disability requirements
- Request that Social Security schedule a medical or psychological examination
- Review your Social Security file
- Review decisions made by the Social Security Administration
- Ask for reopening of prior applications
- Prepare you to testify at your hearing
- Question any witnesses at your hearing
- Present opening and closing statements at your hearing and/or argue that your claim may be favorably decided without a hearing
- If you are successful, make sure the Social Security Administration correctly calculates your benefits
For a free confidential consultation to discuss your disability and obtaining Social Security Disability benefits with an experienced attorney, please call 412-371-7217 (locally in the Pittsburgh area) or toll free at 1-866-759-7649 (outside the Pittsburgh calling area). If you prefer, you can fill out our intake form, and an experienced lawyer will contact you to schedule an appointment.
Helping more than 20,000 clients obtain their SSD benefits…