THE FORSYTHE FIRM
Disabled veterans have served their country and are entitled to benefits upon retirement or disability. Social Security is the second tier. The first tier of benefits is the Veterans Administration (VA).
Our firm has been helping disabled veterans receive more money from the Social Security Administration for decades. Many veterans qualify for the maximum benefit of over $2,600 per month from Social Security--in addition to their VA disability or retirement benefit.
Social Security can be difficult to deal with. They frequently deny veterans' claims that should be paid. That's where we come in. We will help you process your claim, gather the medical evidence and handle any appeals or hearings that may be required to get you paid. Benefits of dealing with the Forsythe Firm include....
1. Local firm - located next to Redstone Arsenal right here in Huntsville.
2. Veteran experienced. We help dozens of veterans every year.
3. Knowledgeable, experienced advocates who know how to win SSDI benefits for veterans.
4. We never ask you for money. When your claim is favorably settled you will be paid by Social Security. At that point, Social Security will pay us directly, according to the pre-agreed fee structure that we discussed at the time you appointed us to represent you. If your claim is not settled in your favor, you never owe us a fee or any service we provided. We get paid only if you do.
SOCIAL SECURITY JUSTICE
CALL US TODAY (256) 799-0297
THE FORSYTHE FIRM
7027 Old Madison Pike NW
Suite 108
Huntsville, AL 35806
"Across From Bridge Street"
THE FORSYTHE FIRM
Need to win a Social Security disability case? Some things you or your attorney representative must do:
1. Get an RFC form from your doctor. Your attorney/representative will know what this is.
2. Relate your medical conditions in the record to your inability to perform specific work activities, like lifting, bending, stooping, standing, walking, etc.
3. Explain carefully any earnings you have been paid after your alleged onset date (the date you claim disability began). Even if you had disability insurance money, rental income, child support, sick leave pay, retirement pay....whatever....it must be explained.
4. Don't dare go into a hearing without your attorney/representative present.
SOCIAL SECURITY JUSTICE
(256) 799-0297
THE FORSYTHE FIRM
Understanding who will be present at your Social Security disability hearing, and knowing their roles, will help you understand the challenges you face--and how to prepare.
There are normally 5 persons present at a hearing. Sometimes, additional persons may take part, such as a medical expert (Social Security doctor). The 5 persons usually present are:
1. The administrative law judge (ALJ) - an employee of the Social Security Administration, the ALJ will preside over the hearing, rule on objections and procedural matters, ask questions of the claimant and ultimately make a decision on the case.
2. The claimant. You are there to answer questions about your past work, why you can no longer work, your medical treatment, what activities you can/cannot perform, etc.
3. Your representative is there to present your case in the most positive light, handle problems, answer the judge's questions and make legal arguments as to why you meet the federal requirements for a disability check.
4. A vocational expert (vocational rehabilitation counselor) will be there. His or her role is to classify your past relevant work, clarify the requirements for doing certain types of work, and to answer the judge's hypothetical questions that get to whether you can perform any of your past work or any other work in the national economy. It is usually the testimony of the vocational expert that will get your claim approved or denied, although this is always predicated by the hypothetical questions the judge will ask. In short, you want to impress upon the judge that you are severely limited in the ability to perform work activities so the ALJ will ask very limiting and restrictive hypothetical questions to the vocational expert.
5. A hearing clerk is there to operate equipment and make a recording of the procedure. He or she has no other direct involvement in the hearing.
I must emphasize that 90 percent of the work is done before the hearing takes place. Ordering, submitting and evaluating medical records is a time-consuming and absolutely essential function. Mapping out a way to get approval (legally) is an essential function: Are we going to win by meeting a Listing? Are we going to win by relying on a grid rule? Are we gong to win by showing that the claimant cannot perform past relevant work or any other job in the national economy? Each of these routes has a certain burden of proof. Realizing the burden of proof and mapping out a way to get there is vital--and this occurs mostly in the months prior to the hearing date.
Of course, the best laid plans of mice and men so often go astray. Therefore, the ability to deal quickly with roadblocks, problems and objections that arise during the hearing is also vital.
SOCIAL SECURITY JUSTICE
CALL US (256) 799-0297
* We will never ask you for money. If you case is decided favorably and you are paid past due benefits, Social Security will pay any fee that we and the client have agreed to, and Social Security will pay us directly. We are eligible for Direct Payment of Fees by the Social Security Administration. You do not have to write us a check.
More than 3 million persons are diagnosed with migraine headaches every year in the United States. Many of these are chronic sufferers who get a debilitating migraine at least three times a month.
These chronic headaches may be disabling and may qualify for an SSDI benefit. The keys are frequency, duration and severity.
Classic migraines are often accompanied by symptoms of photophobia (sensitivity to light), phonophobia (sensitivity to sound), nausea and vomiting. When migraines do not respond to treatment over a period of time, your doctor may label them "intractable."
In order to get Social Security disability benefits for migraine headaches, the three important questions are: (1) Frequency of headaches and (2) severity and (3) duration.
How often do you get a migraine? How bad are your migraines? How long do they last?
If your headaches are infrequent, once a month or less, and respond to prescription medication such as Topimirate or Imitrex, they are probably not considered disabling. If your headaches occur several times per month, last all day and would cause you to be absent from work, they may be considered disabling.
I win SSDI cases for severe migraine headaches when the medical evidence demonstrates that the headaches occur several times per month, are debilitating for several hours when they occur, do not respond to appropriate medical treatment and would cause excessive absences from work on a consistent basis.
Another fact to consider in these cases is the effect of pain. Even if an individual shows up for work with a migraine, is the pain severe enough to interfere with concentration? If I can demonstrate medically that migraines would frequently cause an individual to be off task at work more than 10 percent of the time, I can usually get SSDI benefits approved. The same is true if migraines would force a worker to be absent more than about 2 days per month.
The key is medical treatment. In addition to doctor's records, I would like to get a Treating Source Statement from a doctor who treats the migraine headaches. This form will discuss frequency, severity, treatment and how the headaches restrict the ability to perform work activity on a "regular and continuing basis."
The best person to evaluate a claim for migraine headaches is an attorney or disability advocate trained in the disability rules and process. Representatives who have taken cases before administrative law judges hundreds of times know exactly what the judges look for in such cases. And they know the evidence that must be presented to be approved.
If you suffer from frequent, debilitating migraine headaches, I encourage you to keep a log or diary. Write down how often migraines occur, how long they last and what other symptoms occur (nausea, vomiting, dizziness...).
THE FORSYTHE FIRM
7027 Old Madison Pike NW - Suite 108
Huntsville, AL 35806
PH (256) 799-0297
SEE OUR WEBSITE HERE - MORE INFORMATION
Disabled veterans - don't miss out on Social Security disability benefits. You may qualify for more than $2,600 per month - in addition to your VA benefits.
Social Security is a major source of income for disabled veterans.
The Forsythe Firm in Huntsville has a top-notch track record for working with veterans. We will help you qualify for benefits. Our services include....
- Filling our applications and all the forms
- Gathering medical evidence to prove your claim
- Appearing with you at any hearings or legal proceeding
- Dealing with the US Government on your behalf
- Obtaining the maximum Retro / back pay for you
For a free consultation with no obligation, please call:
THE FORSYTHE FIRM
Charles W. Forsythe
7027 Old Madison Pike NW, Suite 108
PHONE (256) 799-0297
Huntsville, AL 35806
https://forsythefirm.wixsite.com/website
Getting a "free" disability lawyer is easy.
Our advocates will represent you with no fee, no cost to you - nothing out of pocket....
...until you win your claim and receive the back pay you deserve.
At that time, Social Security will withhold our approved fee out of your back pay and take care of our fee (which is always a percentage of the back pay that you have agreed upon in advance).
Services we offer....
- Gathering medical evidence (records)
- Developing a legal theory of the case
- Attending any hearings that are required
- Handling the paperwork
- Correspondence with the Government
- Answering your questions
Contact us locally for an appointment:
The Forsythe Firm
7027 Old Madison Pike NW, Suite 108
Huntsville, AL 35806
PHONE (256) 799-0297
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FORSYTHE FIRM
Trying to get Social Security disability benefits without your doctor's help is a long, frustrating and difficult process. And by your doctor's help, I mean more than just routine medical records. From experience, I know that getting your doctor to complete what's called a "treating source statement" can make all the difference.
THE PROBLEM WITH MEDICAL RECORDS: They are often very skimpy, very general, and almost never address any vocational restrictions. For example, I never see a doctor's routine exam notes that address how much the patient can lift or carry, how long he/she can sit, stand or walk, or whether the patient can climb stairs, kneel, crouch, crawl, push or pull....etc. And these are the functions that Social Security rely on to make decisions on claims.
If we represent you, we will go after medical evidence that demonstrates that you cannot work. This will include an attempt to get one of your treating physicians to provide an honest, fair and complete evaluation of how your impairment limit your ability to do work-related activities.
This is just one area in which we can "add value" to your disability application.
If you want to know more about the Social Security disability process, or how the Forsythe Firm can advocate for you, please contact us by one of the methods below:
PHONE (256) 799-0297
OUR INTERNET (WEB) SITE
There's no such thing as a free lunch. But there is something almost as good.
You can get first class legal representation for your Social Security disability claim and pay a fee only if you win, and only if you receive past due benefits.
That's because Social Security law favors the claimant, not the attorney on this matter. Your representative cannot charge you a fee unless the case is settled in your favor. This guarantees that you can't run up a large legal bill while failing to get enough benefits to make it worthwhile.
And the amount of your legal fee is strictly limited. You can only be charged a maximum of 25 percent of your back pay. So, for example, if you receive $10,000 in back pay, your attorney's fee can be no more than $2,500.
Also, there are other protections put in place to make sure the fee you pay is reasonable.
Is there a downside to this policy? The only downside is that an attorney or representative cannot be paid unless you are successful. This tends to make representatives very careful in selecting cases for representation. No one wants to work up to 2 years on a case and not get paid for it. Therefore, attorneys or advocates only accept cases that they feel are likely to be successful.
My firm will provide you with a free initial consultation, during which we will evaluate your claim to see if you have a good chance of winning. If we feel that you do, we may agree to represent you without a fee until your case is favorably settled, or with no fee if the case does not settle favorably.
Call us at (256) 799-0297.
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