Houston Social Security
Disability Attorney

Photo of David Dopkin
Photo of David Dopkin

Man awarded large disability settlement

On Behalf of | Nov 15, 2012 | Social Security Disability

Being unable to go to work is one of the hardest realizations any American can face. Whether their position is eliminated or deteriorating health gets in the way of a job’s demands, the loss of a career and a once-steady income has the potential to all of a sudden jeopardize everything that was once considered safe and secure. While the Social Security Administration has instituted programs intended to help those disabled and incapable of getting to work, legal and structural obstacles abound within its framework.

This year, over 1,500 judges will oversee upwards of 800,000 Social Security Disability cases, many of which are currently ongoing within Texas’s borders right here in Houston. Across boundaries, industries, and income levels, thousands of out of work Americans are awaiting the results of appeals, a wait that can very likely go on for years.

One Maryland native recently escaped the financial anxiety of a nine-year wait for Social Security Disability assistance, getting news that he had been awarded $206,000 in back benefits. The Dundalk man’s story is one familiar to Americans in any city: he and his wife had spent years trying to prove that his heart condition weakened him so much that he was force to miss work. As their case was made, delays and denials pushed them from middle-class security into poverty.

The $206,000 appeal award will provide future security for the man and his family. Fortunate enough to not be one of the 2,000 people whose case was dismissed last year because they passed away from their ailment(s), the Maryland man can now also count on an increased, more livable monthly assistance check. His Social Security Disability checks average $1,500 more than his previous Supplemental Security Income payments.

Although the wait for a Social Security Disability appeal can take a very long time, the best means of both expediting and securing a winning claim is strong legal aid. Contacting an attorney experienced in Social Security law can help secure lost back benefits and a proper monthly assistance payment, helping those who have become sick or disabled get their lives back and get back to work.

Source: Baltimore Sun, “Families face long waits for Social Security disability settlements,” Yvonne Wenger, Oct. 27, 2012