The basics of Tennessee Social Security disability hearings

Tennessee Social Security disability hearings are appeal hearings. The first step in pursuing a Tennessee Social Security disability claim is to file a claim with the agency in Tennessee. Your claim is reviewed and either approved or disapproved by a Tennessee state claims examiner. The claims examiner makes this decision just by reading your claim and your medical records, but without seeing you.

If your claim is denied then, you can request reconsideration, and your case will be sent to a different claims examiner who will go through the same process. If your claim is denied again then you can request a hearing, where your case will go to an Administrative Law Judge.

The Administrative Law Judge will look at your entire case from scratch. He or she will review your claim, the record from the claims examiner, and your medical records. But more importantly, the Administrative Law Judge will hold a hearing with you and your Tennessee disability attorney to learn about your history and condition directly from you.

Who will be there at your Tennessee disability hearing?

The main people at your Social Security disability hearing are the Administrative Law Judge, an assistant to the judge (who will record the hearing), your Tennessee disability lawyer, and you.

There may also be some witnesses, although the judge may want to keep some witnesses in a waiting room, and only have them in the hearing room at certain times.

The witnesses could be people that you and your attorney have invited, such as family members, friends, or co-workers who can provide testimony that will support your claim.

Witnesses might also include a vocational expert or medical expert who has been asked to testify by the Administrative Law Judge. These experts might appear in person, or they might join by video teleconferencing or telephone.

Vocational experts are asked to testify in about 60% of disability hearings. Their expertise is in job placement, but the Social Security Administration sometimes expects them to try to tell the Administrative Law Judge how many jobs there are for people with your disability. This can be a difficult job for the vocational expert, but the expert’s testimony can be critical to your case.

Medical experts are used in less than 20% of disability hearings. The role of a medical expert is to provide medical expertise to assist the Administrative Law Judge in dealing with complicated medical issues. Unlike other types of legal proceedings, where experts tend to be aligned with a particular side, in Social Security disability hearings, medical experts are supposed to be completely neutral (although sometimes it doesn’t work out this way).

What will happen at your Tennessee disability hearing?

This is not an adversarial proceeding like a lawsuit. There is no one there who will oppose your claim; it is simply a matter of the Administrative Law Judge trying to learn the facts and make a decision. Therefore, the hearing is fairly informal, and the judge will do his or her best to make you feel comfortable and at ease.

Because the hearings are so informal, there is no set procedure, but usually the Administrative Law Judge will begin by explaining the purpose of the hearing and reviewing the history of your claim.

After that, the judge may ask you questions about your condition, or have your Tennessee disability attorney ask you questions. Next, the judge will probably take testimony from any witnesses that you have brought to the hearing.

If a medical expert is used, that testimony will probably be taken after you and your witnesses have testified, but before the vocational expert testifies.

Hearings go fairly quickly, and usually take less than an hour.

Get help from an experienced Tennessee disability attorney

Although the Tennessee Social Security disability hearing process is relatively informal, it is not something that you want to take on without a knowledgeable Tennessee disability attorney. Developing your case to present it in the best possible light requires careful attention to detail and the guidance of an experienced Tennessee disability lawyer.

If you would like our assistance, please write or call us using the contact information below, or complete and submit the Free Claim Evaluation form to your right.

Teel & Maroney, P.L.C.
Tennessee disability lawyers
E-mail us

Teel & Maroney, P.L.C.
Security Center (Main Office)
87 Murray Guard Drive
Jackson, Tennessee 38305
Telephone: 731-660-7777
Toll-Free: 1-800-424-3777
Fax: 731-664-7057

The Utley Latimer Building
425 E. Baltimore Street
Jackson, Tennessee 38301
Telephone: 731-424-3315
Toll-Free: 1-800-892-3591
Fax: 731-424-3501

Milan, Tennessee Office
P.O. Box 567
3090 Highland Street
Milan, Tennessee 38358
Telephone: 731-686-3076
Fax: 731-686-3471