What kind of questions might I be asked at my SSD hearing?
Our federal government has created programs over the years aimed at helping those who have suffered an injury or a loss to get back on their feet. One of these programs is Social Security Disability. The program’s goal is to help supplement the income of workers who have been injured and who are unable to work. This isn’t something that is automatically granted when a Charleston worker suffers an injury, however.
Social Security Disability benefits are something that needs to be requested by the injured worker. When requesting SSD benefits there is often a hearing in which the injured person makes a claim as to why approving SSD benefits is appropriate it their situation. It is always important to tell the whole story and not to exaggerate the story, seemingly for your own benefit. Misrepresentation of facts or symptoms could derail the entire process.
These are the types of questions a person may be asked when seeking Social Security Disability benefits: the medical-type questions about symptoms, medical history and questions specific to whatever the injured is suffering from; questions about your medical treatment may be asked, including how a person may be attempting to recover from their injury; employment history will likely be a topic of conversation and the judge may or may not ask specific questions about work history, especially questions pertaining to the most recent position held by the injured; and questions about a person’s daily activities from sun-up to sun-down may be asked by the judge to help put into perspective the severity of the injury and how it affects an injured person’s time when they are off-the-clock.
Whether or not you are facing the SSD hearing alone or with help, the questions the judge may ask likely will not change. If you are feeling anxiety about how to prepare or answer these questions, it may be helpful to get more information about the process. Coming to the SSD hearing prepared is the first step toward a favorable outcome. Accurate answers to important questions can mean the difference between approval and denial of SSD benefits.
