How You Can Prepare For Your Social Security Disability Hearing

Law Blog

It can be extremely nerve-wracking to know that you are going to have to get in front of a courtroom for a Social Security Disability Hearing. Depending on the situation, your hearing can be easygoing and laid-back, or it can be adversarial and contentious. You can hope for the best, but you must also prepare for the worst. One of the many mistakes that people make is assuming that the lawyer is going to take care of everything for you. While it is true that your lawyer handles most things, he or she cannot testify for you. Therefore, you must be prepared for the questions that will be asked of you, and, generally, your attorney will help prepare you. However, here are some things that you need to familiarize yourself with before your hearing:

Your Medical Condition

Your medical records will have been copied and submitted to the court prior to your hearing. Therefore, you will be asked questions about your symptoms. These questions will vary depending on your conditions, but you will want to prepare yourself for questions like the following:

• Do you take any medications for your symptoms and do you experience any side effects?
• On a scale of one to 10, how bad is your pain?
• Do you suffer from a limited range of motion?

Physical/Mental Abilities

Depending on your claim for disability and your medical condition, you may be asked about your physical/mental ability limitations. You could be asked the following:

• How long or how far can you walk before you must take a rest?
• Do you find it difficult to concentrate for extended periods of time?

Day-to-Day Activities

There is a good chance that you will be questioned regarding your typical day. This will generally include from the time you wake up to the moment you go to bed at night and will likely include how peaceful of sleep you get at night. You may be asked the following questions:

• Prior to becoming disabled, what type of activities did you enjoy regularly? Which of these activities are you unable to partake in now?
• Are you able to drive a vehicle?
• Do you perform basic repairs around the home?

Remember, you should never exaggerate the truth, but you should never downplay it either. You need to always tell the truth and ensure that your answers are consistent with the evidence in the case. Otherwise, it could derail your social security disability claim. Make sure that you work with a social security disability lawyer, like Glen Cook Social Security Attorney, to prepare for the hearing and that you are familiar with your case, medical records, and anything else that has been submitted to the court for the hearing to avoid complications with your claim. 

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5 December 2017