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The Order in Which Things Happen at the Hearing

What happens in the hearing room? Most judges commence Social Security disability hearings by recounting the “case history” of the disability claim and reciting the issues to be decided.

Although judges often recite what a claimant needs to prove in order to prove the case, they rarely give a well-defined and simple explanation. Rather, they usually state that the claimant must be “unable to perform substantial gainful activity which exists in significant numbers in the economy, considering your age, education and work experience.” Such a statement may give the claimant the false notion that they have to be bedridden to get disability benefits. This is the precise reason why you should seek the assistance of an Ohio disability lawyer.

The judge may question the claimant first and then give his or her disability lawyer the option to ask questions. Sometimes, if a claimant is well prepared to testify, the lawyer does not need to ask any questions.

Some judges may expect lawyers to do most of the questioning. If this is the case, the claimant should answer the lawyer’s questions with the utmost detail, as if talking to a stranger. The claimant should refrain from responding in incomplete answers simply because his or her lawyer already knows a lot about the case. Even though the judge may have read the file prior to the hearing, the claimant should assume that the judge knows very little about the case. As such, the claimant should give details, details, details.

So, if you have been denied Social Security disability benefits, please fill out the claim evaluation form on this page to contact Ohio disability lawyers Roose & Ressler.