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Ortiz Law Firm | National Disability Law Firm
Ortiz Law Firm is dedicated to helping people recover the disability benefits they deserve. We handle group Long Term Disability (LTD) claims, individual disability insurance policy claims, ERISA disability claims, and Social Security Disability claims.
Social media has become how we share our lives with the world. Long gone are the days of printing and mailing pictures to family and friends. Now, with the click of a button, you can share photos or even live stream videos on social media, which creates a way for families to stay connected even …
In the context of this article, it’s important to distinguish between long-term disability buyout and settlement offers. A buyout offer is extended by the insurance company while you are actively receiving long-term disability benefits. A settlement offer, on the other hand, arises when you have been fully denied these benefits and are in the process of negotiating a …
Are you suffering from multiple disabling conditions? You may think that if you are suffering from a set of combined ailments, your long-term disability claim should get approved even faster than if you only suffered from one ailment. But in fact, the opposite is true. When claimants file for long-term disability for multiple disabilities, the insurance company …
So you are eager to rush in and file your claim for individual disability insurance benefits. That’s good. You do not want to wait too long to file your claim as you only have a limited time to file the claim, but STOP FOR JUST A MINUTE. There is one thing you must absolutely do …
Some long-term disability claims are appealed to a United States District Court. If the court upholds the LTD denial, the next step is to appeal the claim to the United States Court of Appeals. For claimants in Florida, Alabama, and Georgia, these appeals go to the Eleventh Circuit. In this article, we discuss the Eleventh Circuit Court’s …
Many claimants ask why the insurance company uses a vocational consultant when reviewing a claim. Isn’t the main issue whether you have a medical disability and you’re medically disabled under the policy? This is a very legitimate question. In this article, we discuss why a vocational assessment from a vocational consultant is a significant part …
When a person files a claim for disability benefits with the Social Security Administration, they will be asked, “What is the Alleged Onset Date of your disability?” I like to explain to my clients that it is more of a legal term than a medical one. What Social Security is really asking is, “When did …
We are often asked, “Can a Social Security disability attorney speed up my case?” The answer is yes. There are many advantages to having an attorney represent you in the Social Security Disability process, from the initial application to appeals. Below we will discuss several ways that having a disability attorney represent you might help …
Frequently Asked Question: I have a college education. I’ve heard one’s education level impacts a claim for Social Security disability benefits. Does my education keep me from being eligible for disability benefits? Answer: The Social Security Administration (SSA) evaluates applications for SSDI and SSI disability in two ways: The Listing of Impairments Meeting a listing means …
If the Appeals Council denies your request for review of your Social Security disability claim and you disagree with the decision, or if the Appeals Council decides not to review your claim for Social Security disability benefits, you can file a civil lawsuit in a federal district court. This begins the last level of the …
The Social Security Administration (“SSA”) will review your application to make sure you meet some basic requirements for Social Security disability benefits and evaluate any current work activities. If you meet these requirements, Social Security will send your application to the Disability Determination Services (“DDS”) office in your state. The DDS is a state agency …
The first thing you should do if you’ve received a denial letter in your Social Security disability claim is read the letter! I know this seems obvious, but I’ve spoken with countless claimant who were so mad or frustrated that they threw the letter in a drawer or into the trash. What these claimants fail …
When you apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, Social Security considers all the medical records and other evidence in your case before it makes any decisions on your eligibility for benefits or your benefit amount. When Social Security makes a decision on your claim, it will send you …
What Is a Trust? A trust is a legal arrangement regulated by State law in which one party holds money and/or property for the benefit of another. In certain situations, a trust can be set up for an SSI recipient. A trust can contain: How Does a Trust Affect My SSI Benefits? If you use …
Social Security Disability Insurance is not an alternative unemployment program of benefits. Any factor that is not related to the claimant’s disability is not relevant to a disability determination. This includes an individual’s inability to find a job in a weak economy with few job vacancies or that an employer would not be likely to …
The first step in evaluating a Social Security disability claim is determining whether a claimant is performing “substantial gainful activity” or SGA. The Unsuccessful Work Attempt According to Social Security’s regulations, work you have done will not ordinarily show that you are capable of performing substantial gainful activity if, after working for a period of …
A common injury in motor vehicle accidents and slip-and-fall accidents is the breaking of an ankle. The severity of this type of bone injury can range from a small crack to a compound fracture, in which the bone pierces the skin. A minor break will often be treated the same as a sprain and the …
There are multiple different types of damages you may claim in a personal injury lawsuit if you have suffered injuries in a car accident (or in a bus, truck or motorcycle accident). The primary form of damages is for medical expenses, but you may also claim damages for lost wages, lost earning capacity (which is …
It is always smarter to hire a lawyer to handle a dog bite injury claim than it is for a victim to try to settle a claim on his own. Nearly five million Americans are bitten by a dog every year, though only about 15,000 of them receive compensation for their injury. That is because …
Childbirth can be one of the most painful and frightening experiences that a woman can go through. It can become even worse when the delivery process results in injury to the mother or the newborn. It isn’t commonly known, but, of every 1,000 births, six or eight will involve serious birth injury. These injuries can …
From a legal perspective, being involved in a bus accident is much different from being involved in a car, truck, or motorcycle accident. Buses and drivers are held to even higher safety standards than other vehicles because they are commonly used as public transportation for taking children to school or passengers of any age to …
Areas of construction work can be dangerous places. Forklifts, cranes, scaffolding, ladders, saws, nail guns, and various falling objects have all been involved in serious injuries to both construction workers and innocent bystanders. Construction mishaps most often occur because of faulty equipment or insufficient warnings on machinery that can easily be used incorrectly. Accidents can …
What Is Paralysis? Paralysis is a catastrophic and life-altering medical condition that completely alters the way a person lives his or her life. It is defined as the loss of voluntary muscle function caused by injury or disease of the brain, nerves, or spinal cord. It happens when something goes wrong with the way messages …
A lot of people think that once they have turned their car off of a busy street into a normal, calm-looking parking lot that they can already begin relaxing from the stress of driving down the road. However, drivers should actually continue being as alert as on a busy roadway, if not even more. Nearly …
