Our law office has more than 30 years of experience serving clients in the area of Social Security disability. If you have a disability and you are not able to work, you deserve experienced representation, personal attention, and convenience. David Chase Law in Bangor, Maine, offers this ideal combination. Time and time again, our clients tell us they appreciate our strong emphasis on individual attention, and we are always available to answer their questions in a timely manner. Many people make the mistake of filing or pursuing a disability claim without hiring a professional. From the initial application to appealing a denied claim, we are ready to step in at any stage of a case. An experienced representative can greatly improve your chances of success and help you avoid a claim denial. At David Chase Law, we accomodate meetings with our clients through video conferencing, phone calls, or in-person. There are only four hearing sites in Maine. For many people, traveling to a hearing location is time-consuming and can be intimidating. At David Chase Law, our clients are able to simply travel to our office, centrally located in Bangor, Maine, and participate in hearings through video teleconferencing. We are one of the first law firms in the State to offer this option. We service clients throughout Central, Eastern, and Midcoast Maine. Our fees are contingent upon the successful outcome of your case. We only get paid if and when you do. It costs you nothing to meet with us, so contact our representatives today to arrange a free consultation. It is common for the initial Social Security application to be denied. If your application has been denied, don’t lose hope. You have the right to request reconsideration and a hearing with an administrative law judge. Regardless of your occupation, if you can no longer work due to a disability, you are entitled to receive the disability benefits you have been contributing to throughout your working career. If you are already involved in the Social Security disability claim process, you probably know that it can be a long road. In Maine, the time between the initial application and the first hearing can be nearly two years. At David Charse Law, we understand that this can be disheartening. We know that a high level of communication with our clients is important during this time. We will do everything we can to help you know what to expect, answer your questions, and be by your side during the process. Don’t wait to be denied. Our representatives can work with you from the beginning, establish a trusting relationship with you, identify potential pitfalls, and develop valuable strategies. It is important to know that there is a limited time to appeal a denial. You only have 60 days to request reconsideration or a hearing. Our team can help you take your appeal all the way to the Federal Court, if necessary. Some of the more common disabilities our clients have include degenerative issues, joint injuries, arthritis, spine and disk injuries, heart problems, vascular problems, chronic pain, and fibromyalgia, as well as emotional and mental conditions, such as depression, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), attention deficit disorder (ADD), learning disabilities, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), bipolar disorder, personality disorders, anger management issues, antisocial behavior, and social anxiety disorder. Getting the appropriate medical treatment and documentation from a physician is vital to the success of your application. It is not enough for your doctor to simply say you are disabled or unable to work. You must establish how the conditions affect your ability to function in the workplace. We understand that you may be hesitant to visit a doctor. Perhaps you have seen many specialists in the past and your health condition has not improved. No matter whether the medical treatment helps your condition or not, it is necessary to show you are compliant with any recommended medical treatment in order for you to receive benefits. At David Chase Law, we can help make sure that you are in compliance with the appropriate medical treatment and that the proper medical evidence is captured. Your disabled child may be eligible for benefits. If your child has a medical condition that interferes with age-appropriate functioning, we can help you determine if you should file a claim on their behalf. SSI is available for children with disabilities. Eligibility for childhood SSI benefits is based on a household’s total income and assets. Disability standards are different for a child than an adult and require consideration of many factors. If a parent of a disabled child is disabled and receiving Social Security disability benefits or retired and receiving Social Security retirement benefits, the child may be eligible for benefits based on the parent’s past wage history. This may also be true if a parent of a disabled child is deceased but had a work history while alive. At David Chase Law, our professionals can help you determine if your disabled child is eligible for Social Security disability benefits, SSI benefits, or both. We can provide guidance throughout every step of the process, from completing the initial application to appealing any denials. Your claim may require a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge. During your SSD or SSI hearing, you will have the opportunity to tell your story and explain how your disability has affected your life. When a hearing is scheduled in your claim, our representatives will meet with you beforehand to help you prepare for your hearing. You will know what to expect and you will be ready to provide the Judge with the essential information to prove your case. While some lawyers build cases based only on medical records, at David Chase Law, we consider every area of your life when preparing you for a hearing. We believe this is vital to a successful outcome. Often, people with disabilities have a difficult time explaining how their conditions affect their lives and their ability to work. At David Chase Law, we have found that through personal discussions with our clients, we are able to identify many important aspects of their disabilities that may be useful in building their claims. An individual’s history, personal situations, daily activities, and other details can be extremely important. For example, if you have a physical disability, you may only focus on how your disability contributes to your inability to work. There are many factors that contribute to a person’s inability to work full-time, including, but not limited to, sleeplessness, pain, side effects of medication, age, education, and work experience. Many attorneys strive to take on a high volume of business, serving as many clients as possible. Often, the client may not even meet their lawyer until the day of your hearing. This has never been and never will be the way we operate at David Chase Law. Our services are tailored to our individual clients, and we do not use “cookie-cutter” solutions. Clients appreciate our strong personal contact, both in- person and on the phone, and you will likely speak with us multiple times before a hearing. David Chase Law can provide legal services for both your Workers’ Compensation and Social Security disability claims. An injured employee can collect Social Security disability benefits and Workers’ Compensation at the same time. However, the total amount of these benefits combined cannot exceed 80% of your pre-disability average current earnings as determined by the Social Security Administration. It is important and helpful for a Workers’ Compensation claim and a Social Security claim to be managed together. David Chase Law has the expertise necessary for you to maximize your benefits from your claims in both areas. If you are already receiving workers’ compensation, you may want to file your Social Security application as soon as possible, if you have been or expect to be unable to work in a full-time capacity for a period of 12 months or more. There may be valuable benefits available to you that you are not currently receiving.