Social Security Disability benefits, anywhere in the country.

What is SSDI?

Social Security Disability Insurance is a federal program that pays monthly benefits to people who can no longer work because of a serious medical condition. If you've worked and paid into Social Security long enough, you've earned the right to these benefits — SSDI is not welfare, it's insurance you've already funded through your paychecks.

To qualify, your condition generally must prevent you from doing substantial work and be expected to last at least twelve months (or be terminal). Both physical and mental impairments can qualify.

We represent claimants nationwide.

Unlike California workers' compensation, SSDI is governed by federal law and administered by the Social Security Administration the same way in every state. That means our representation isn't limited by geography. Whether you're in California or across the country, we can take your case, appear at your hearing, and communicate with the SSA on your behalf.

Why you want a lawyer early.

Most people are denied the first time they apply — often for reasons that have nothing to do with how disabled they truly are. The system rewards complete medical records, precise language about what you can and can't do, and strict attention to deadlines. Having representation from the start can mean the difference between a denial and an approval, and it can shorten the road to benefits.

The process, step by step.

Most claims move through a defined sequence, and we stay with you through all of it:

• Application — filing your initial claim with complete medical and work history
• Reconsideration — a required second review in most states after an initial denial
• Hearing before an Administrative Law Judge — your best opportunity to win, where preparation matters most
• Appeals Council — review of a hearing decision
• Federal court — the final level of review, if needed

Deadlines at each stage are short — generally sixty days. Miss one and you can be forced to start over. We track every clock so you don't have to.

Do I qualify?

The two questions that drive most cases are whether you've worked recently enough to be insured, and whether your condition is severe enough to keep you from working. In general, that means:

• A work history that earned enough Social Security credits
• A medical condition — physical, mental, or both — that prevents substantial work
• A condition expected to last at least twelve months, or that is terminal

If you're not sure whether you qualify, that's exactly what a free consultation is for. We'll tell you honestly where you stand.

Already have a workers' comp claim? We handle both.

Many injured workers are eligible for SSDI at the same time as their workers' compensation case — and the two interact. Because we've spent decades in California workers' comp, we understand how a workers' comp settlement can affect (or offset) your SSDI benefits, and we can help coordinate the two so you keep as much as the law allows. Ask us about your workers' compensation and SIBTF options too.

You pay nothing up front.

SSDI cases are handled on a contingency basis set by federal law. You pay no attorney's fee unless we win benefits for you, and the fee comes only out of your past-due benefits — never your ongoing monthly checks. The fee is capped by federal law, and the Social Security Administration approves and pays it directly. In short: no win, no fee.