Your first step is to appeal with the Disability Determination Service (DDS), where your case will be reviewed by another medical consultant and a claims examiner. These individuals will be different from the evaluators who first reviewed your claim. This can help ensure that judgments are impartial and uninfluenced by prior knowledge.

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The next step will be your hearing with a judge. You will have the opportunity to state the reasons why you believe your claim was not given a fair chance. Sometimes claims are denied simply because of a small error in the paperwork and even because a reviewer moved too quickly and did not take the time to delve deeper into the claim.

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You may have several arguments that can strengthen your appeal, and these may include:

• Demonstrate that the injury is preventing you from working

• Demonstrate that your doctor declared you unable to work, or you are suffering a terminal illness

• Demonstrate that your claim was accurate and filed within the given deadline

Some claims may escalate all the way up to federal courts during the appeals process, but this process can take as much as a year, even more. You may still be able to file for other benefits. Our social security disability lawyer recommends filling out Form SSA-795 and sending that, along with a copy of the notice that your benefits will cease so that you can continue receiving benefits. You must do this within 10 days of receiving notice of denial.