If your initial claim and reconsideration appeal for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits are both denied, you may have to present your case at a Social Security Disability hearing. Essentially, this is a formal legal proceeding in front of an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ), who will review additional evidence and ask more questions to determine whether you indeed qualify for this benefits program. So, when speaking of more evidence, witness testimony may be considered a pivotal piece of proof. That said, please continue reading to learn whether you can use witness testimony to support your SSDI benefits application and how an experienced New Jersey SSDI attorney at The Law Offices of Sheryl Gandel Mazur can help ensure your claim is sufficiently supplemented.
Can I use witness testimony to support my SSDI benefits application?
Overall, witness testimonies may give your argument the extra push it needs to get your SSDI benefits application approved. Specifically, lay witnesses may include your spouse and children, extended family members, close friends, former employers and coworkers, and anyone who knows you well. They may offer a written letter or an oral anecdote in the presence of an ALJ. Either way, they may further explain how they have seen first-hand how your debilitating physical, mental, or emotional state has limited your ability to function properly and thereby maintain gainful employment activity. More specific examples of this read as follows:
- Your spouse may better explain your treatment journey for your disability and the challenges you have had to face.
- Your close friends may better explain how you used to handle social situations before versus after incurring your disability.
- Your former employer may better explain the nature of your work and how your disability restricts you from meeting its job requirements.
It is important to be selective with who you ask to testify on your behalf. That is, you should ensure the individual does not have difficulty expressing themselves or refraining from exaggerations, and who knows you well enough to touch on anything related to your condition.
How can medical experts support my SSDI benefits application?
In addition to lay witnesses, you may also want to ask medical experts to testify on your behalf. Importantly, these medical experts do not necessarily have to be the physicians primarily treating you. Rather, they may be any medical professional with specialized knowledge and experience in the medical field that your physical, mental, or emotional disability falls under. With this, a medical expert may analyze your doctor’s notes, prescriptions, and any other relevant medical record pertaining to your disability. Then, they may offer the ALJ their expert opinion on your given medical diagnosis, along with how it may affect your ability to work and how it may qualify you for SSDI benefits.
To learn more about handling your SSDI benefits application, please contact a skilled New Jersey SSDI attorney from The Law Offices of Sheryl Gandel Mazur. Better yet, schedule your initial consultation with our firm today.
