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The Disability Benefits Process in Oregon and The Pacific Northwest

July 20, 2021

Despite your daily pains and struggles, your disability claim is decided by a bureaucrat in a faraway office or a judge who is trained to be skeptical. About 75 percent of all first-time applications for Social Security Disability are turned down. Many people give up in despair. Don't be one of them! JP Law has a proven record of helping people qualify for disability benefits in Portland and across the northwestern United States. We will take your case as far as necessary through the claims, hearings, and appeals processes. Social Security Disability is all we do. From our office in the Portland area, we have helped hundreds of people qualify for disability benefits throughout Oregon, Washington, Montana, and Alaska win benefits.

Your Disability Case From Start To Finish

The key to our successful representation is our belief in clients. We take the time to get to know clients and earn their trust. Beyond our high caliber of legal ability, we offer moral support and practical advice to clients regarding their health care and preparing financially and emotionally for the long and frustrating Social Security Disability process.

Most of our clients have already been denied once or twice by the Social Security Administration. Most people do not consider hiring a lawyer until faced with the idea of going before a judge. We encourage you to contact us at any stage of the process to qualify for disability benefits in Portland and beyond.

The earlier we get involved, the better your chances of getting approved. We can help you shape your claim and anticipate the objections. There is no additional cost for working with us early in the process. In fact, we are not paid at all until you qualify for disability benefits in Portland and surrounding regions.

  • We do not typically prepare initial claims, unless clients are so disabled or distressed that they need our assistance to fill out the forms. (If you were granted benefits based on your application, you would have to pay our legal fees even if we didn't do much.)

  • We do provide tips about how to document (1) initial claims and (2) claims for administrative reconsideration. Many people who meet the medical criteria fail to submit full medical records or describe their disability in a clear and compelling way to quality for Portland disability benefits. The independent and “can-do” ethic among people of the Pacific Northwest often works against them. For example, the claims representative may disqualify a person whose application says he or she was able to mow their own lawn. What the application probably doesn't say is that the person was bedridden or in excruciating pain for many days after.

Our Lawyers Understand The Application Process

We encourage you to file your own initial application for SSD or SSI benefits. It typically takes three to four months to get a decision. Only about 25 percent of claimants are approved on the first try.

If your claim is denied, we can advise on updating your records or making changes to submit the claim for reconsideration. It may take another three or four months to get an answer, and only 10 to 15 percent of claimants are awarded benefits at this level.

If the SSA administrators have twice denied benefits, you have 60 days to request a hearing before an administrative law judge. (If you miss the deadline, you must start all over again.) The ALJ hearing is your best hope of winning benefits, but it takes six months to a year to get a hearing, depending on the backlog of cases. During this period, our attorneys will work with you to make sure that you are continuing medical care and that doctors are appropriately documenting your medical condition and the challenges you face on your journey to qualify for disability benefits in Portland.

Unlike many firms, we spend a lot of time with clients beforehand to prepare for the hearing. One of our attorneys will be there to calm you down, rehearse for likely questions, and accompany you at the hearing. During the hearing, we will speak up for you to clarify issues for the judge and get specific information and arguments on the record.

If the judge rules in your favor, your disability benefits are awarded retroactively to the date of your application. If your judge rules against you, our lawyers are equipped to represent you in administrative and court appeals, or in filing a new claim.

We Are With You The Whole Way

If you hire one of the big law firms, you may not meet with your attorney until just before the hearing. If you hire a non-lawyer advocate, that person may not be qualified to represent you in hearings or appeals. At JP Law, we develop relationships with our clients, and we have the compassion and commitment to take your claim as far as necessary.

Our experienced attorneys are familiar with the Social Security Disability process in Oregon and many other states, including Idaho and Nevada. For a FREE CONSULTATION, call or contact us online. There is NO OBLIGATION to hire our firm, and there are NO FEES unless we win your case to qualify for disability benefits in Portland and across the Pacific Northwest.