Duluth Minnesota disability lawyer offers assistance to Wisconsin and Minnesota claimants whose applications have been denied

If your application for Social Security disability benefits has been denied, you are probably feeling disappointed and discouraged. And who could blame you? You have waited months for a decision and you need your benefits. At this point, you may be tempted to give up.

Please take my advice as a Duluth disability attorney with more than 25 years of experience. Do not abandon your claim after your first denial. Giving up too soon is a serious mistake made by many claimants who are actually disabled. Don’t be one of them. Continue to pursue your claim until you get a hearing before an administrative law judge.

Why should I appeal if my claim is denied?

Your chances of being approved for disability benefits improve significantly if you appeal. Most claimants, over two-thirds in fact, are denied benefits initially. In contrast, over half of the claimants who appeal until they get a hearing will be awarded benefits.

Why are so many applications erroneously denied? When deciding whether to approve or deny your initial application or your request for reconsideration, the disability evaluator has only the papers in your file to go on. The evaluator never gets to meet you in person and hear directly from you about how your condition affects your life.

When you appeal, you will get a hearing before an administrative law judge. The hearing gives you the chance to meet the judge deciding your case and to persuade him or her that you are disabled.

For information and tips on appealing, download my free e-booklet, Helpful Suggestions for Appealing a Denial of Benefits.

What will happen at my hearing? >>

If you have not yet applied for benefits >>

When to contact Duluth disability attorney Lionel Peabody

Contact my office as soon as possible after receiving your denial letter. You have 65 days from the date on your denial letter to appeal. The earlier you contact us, the more time we will have to evaluate your case, and if we accept it, to assist you in filing your appeal. Even if you have already filed your appeal by yourself, you can still contact us. But the sooner you do, the more time we have to prepare your case.

If you would like an evaluation of your case, and you are not already represented by a disability attorney, please describe your claim using the form on this page, and I will respond promptly. Or you may contact me at:

Lionel H. Peabody
Duluth Minnesota disability lawyer

Email me

Office: Board of Trade Building
301 West First Street, Suite 600
Duluth, Minnesota

Mailing address: P.O. Box 10
Duluth, Minnesota 55801-0010