The SSD Process

How Social Security Disability Works

When you apply for SSD, your application is forwarded from the Social Security Administration (SSA) to the Disability Determination Services office in Georgia. Doctors and disability specialists review your application. In addition to considering all of the facts in your application, they will use medical evidence provided by any health care professionals who treated you. They will ask many questions of your doctors to determine the degree of your disability as related to work and living. You may be asked to go for a special examination, which the SSA will pay for. Approximately 35% of initial applications are approved. This part of the process normally takes 3-6 months.

Using an Atlanta Social Security disability attorney from our office can not only speed the process but also greatly improve your chances for approval on initial application. For denied Social Security disability benefits claims, we can help you when appealing the claim.

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The first appeals process takes 3-5 months with only about 13% of these getting approved. Your claim is reviewed similarly to the initial application, but by a different person from the SSA. A second appeal can be made which takes 1-1.5 years, on the average. This stage provides the highest percentage of approval throughout the entire SSD process with 64% of second appeals being approved. The third appeal usually takes about 8 months, and only 3% of these appeals are approved.

As you can see, this can be a lengthy process that may or may not be successful. Our over-40-years of experience in this field makes us more than qualified to effectively assist applicants to greatly increase their chances of approval and the speed of their claim.