As you go through the process of applying for Social Security disability benefits and perhaps through the appeal process, an Albuquerque Social Security disability law firm may discuss the various aspects of the case. One central component to a disability hearing is the presence of various experts who can provide important testimony about your disability.
What Are Medical Experts?
A medical expert may testify about the nature of your disability. However, medical experts only testify in about 20 percent of cases. A medical expert may provide valuable testimony about how your impairment meets or equals one of the specific impairments that is found on the Social Security Administration’s Listing of Impairment that can help you win your case.
What Are Vocational Experts?
A vocational expert is an individual who may provide testimony regarding the availability of work in particular industries. Vocational experts testify in about 60 percent of hearings. Vocational experts must be familiar with various occupational titles and be able to recite how many jobs of a particular nature exist in the national economy for individuals with specific limitations. It may become apparent during a hearing that you have won your case, such as when a vocational expert is not called to testify after a medical expert explains that your impairment meets or equals an impairment that is part of the Listing of Impairments.
What Is the Role of a Social Security Disability Lawyer?
In addition to preparing documents and preparing for your hearing, an Albuquerque Social Security disability law firm can prove to be invaluable during a Social Security hearing. If the vocational expert has correctly identified the line between individuals who are disabled and those who are not, your Social Security disability lawyer may ask questions based upon your residual functional capacity. Your lawyer may begin to ask a series of hypothetical questions centered around your abilities and symptoms to determine how an employee’s performance would be affected based on these additional factors.
If you would like assistance with your application for Social Security disability benefits, contact Albuquerque Social Security disability lawyer Michelle Baca Attorney at Law by calling (505) 872-1142.
