The Importance Of Hiring A Representative For Your Upcoming Disability Hearing

When it comes to preparing for your Social Security Disability Insurance hearing, there are several reasons why you should invest in a representative. Not only is it difficult to prepare for a case, but it’s also easy to make a mistake when questioning witnesses or experts. See what an experienced representative can do for your chances of being approved.

Why Hire a Representative If the Rules of Evidence Don’t Apply?

SSDI hearings are meant to be informal procedures so that people who can’t afford to hire a representative aren’t put at a disadvantage. Despite this more relaxed environment though, you’ll still need to be capable of asking the right questions to the right people to prove the extent of your symptoms.

How Will a Representative Talk to Experts?

One of the more important people at the trial will be the vocational expert (VE). Here are a few things you need to know:

• If the vocational expert brought in isn’t convinced your applications for SSDI benefits should be approved, the hearing can go downhill quickly.
• Unfortunately, an SSDI judge doesn’t always adhere to the legalities of the hearing and may ask inappropriate questions to the VE.
• A representative will make sure that the judge isn’t leading the expert and that the VE understands the depth of your condition.
• Your representative can quickly drill down into any misunderstandings or gaps in the VE’s knowledge.

Hiring a representative ensures that all experts at the trial really understand why you’re applying for disability. Let’s say a medical expert disagrees with the opinion of your medical doctor. A representative will ensure that the medical expert understands how your doctor came to their conclusion and have them rebut each claim point by point. This can quickly expose the medical or vocational expert if they failed to consider certain points of your condition, making it more likely you’ll be approved.