Applied for SSDI with a lawyer and got denied in 3 months flat

I hired a well known disability lawyer in Sacramento back in January. Paid them nothing upfront but they took 25% if I won. Thought having a lawyer would speed things up and make the case stronger. Got the denial letter last week and it was basically the same as when I applied alone years ago. What do these lawyers actually do that I can't do myself?

2 comments

2 Comments

maryh961mo ago

You said "it was basically the same as when I applied alone years ago" and that's the real problem. A lot of these lawyers just submit the same paperwork you would but with their letterhead on it, and then they blame the system if you get denied. If they're not actually gathering new medical records or working with your doctors to fill in the gaps, you're basically paying them 25% to be a mailman.

keithharris1mo ago

lol I gotta push back on the "mailman" thing a little. The reality is a lot of people who go it alone end up getting denied because they don't know how to frame their condition in disability language, not because the evidence isn't there. A good lawyer isn't just submitting the same packet, they're reading those records and finding the specific medical terms the judges actually look for. You can have ten years of doctor visits but if your records don't say "can't stand for more than two hours" or whatever the SSA needs to hear, the judge will just say there's not enough proof. And honestly, the 25% cap is set by the government, so it's not like these guys are picking that number to screw you over. Some lawyers are lazy sure, but plenty of them are saving people from making simple mistakes on forms that cost them years of backpay.