Expert Testimony at Your Social Security Disability Hearing

If the Social Security Administration, or SSA, has denied your Social Security disability benefit application, you can appeal the decision and request an Administrative Hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ).  At the ALJ’s request, a vocational or medical expert may testify regarding your condition. Experts are neutral and do not favor the SSA. Experts can testify in person, by telephone or by video teleconference. In addition, at the Administrative Hearing, your Ocala disability lawyer will have the opportunity to ask the experts questions as well.

A vocational expert is an expert in job placement and will be able to offer the ALJ some guidance about the positions you may be able to hold given your disability. A vocational expert testifies in about 60 percent of disability hearings. The vocational expert is very familiar with the SSA’s Dictionary of Occupational Titles, to determine how the applicant’s medical condition fits into the SSA’s disability listings. However, a vocational expert is really an expert in job placement for those with a physical or mental impairment. Primarily, at an Administrative Hearing, a vocational expert provides an ALJ with job options for the applicant based on the applicant’s condition. These options help an ALJ determine whether a job exists for the applicant given the applicant’s condition, or whether the applicant should receive Social Security disability benefits.

A medical expert is a doctor or other professional who can provide the ALJ with information regarding the specifics of your condition. However, a medical expert testifies in only about 20 percent of all disability hearings. Medical experts play an important role in explaining whether a medical condition qualifies according to the SSA’s Listing of Impairments. For example, if you have a heart condition, the SSA’s Listing of Impairments specifically describe what an applicant’s condition must entail before the applicant is eligible to receive disability benefits.

An ALJ reverses the majority of Social Security disability denials following an Administrative Hearing. However, you will likely not know the outcome until you receive a letter in the mail from the ALJ a few weeks after your hearing.

If you have questions regarding the Administrative Hearing or the differences between each expert, contact knowledgeable Ocala disability lawyer CJ Henry today.