Social Security Disability Stories

Social Security Disability Stories

We Gathered Records The SSA Didn’t And Our Client Got The Benefits She Needed

A young woman who was suffering from severe depression had been applying for disability and was repeatedly denied. We hopped on the case and helped her appeal these denials. We worked with her doctors and gathered medical records from treatment sources that the Social Security Administration (SSA) had not looked at. With this extra documentation, we were able to get her claim approved without even needing a hearing.


She Was Denied Benefits For Years. Then She Hired Us.

As a result of years of abuse, a young woman was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and severe anxiety. She had been trying to get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for years but had always been denied. Eventually, her children were removed from her home because she couldn’t provide for them.

Finally, she hired our attorneys to represent her at her next hearing. We worked with her doctors to get statements and compiled records from her providers to build a strong case showing that she should receive benefits. After seeing all of the evidence we put together, the judge granted the woman disability benefits (including three years of back pay) at the hearing, almost immediately.

Now our client will be able to provide for her children and focus on her mental health and overall well-being.


After Years Of Being Denied Benefits, He Finally Got The Help He Needed.

A man was struggling with severe psychological disabilities for years. He finally decided he needed to apply for benefits to help support the family because he was no longer able to hold a job and support them the “traditional” way. He was denied benefits at the initial and reconsideration levels. At that time, he hired Nicolet Law Office to represent him and help him through the hearing process. We helped him wrap up this long ordeal (it had been three years from the time he had applied for benefits) and he was fully approved for disability benefits.


She Expected A Horror Story. Instead, She Got A Happy Ending.

A woman was involved in an accident at work and was unable to return to any type of employment after treatment. She was worried about applying for Social Security Disability (SSDI) benefits because of the horror stories she had heard with how long the process can take and how often people’s requests are denied. Additionally, she had seen how troublesome benefit-related processes can be, as she had just gone through the workers’ comp claim process.

To minimize the chance that she would encounter the same pitfalls and procedural barriers that she’d heard about, the woman hired our firm. We worked directly with her doctors to get some great medical statements and filed the benefits application for her. She was approved on the initial application within a matter of months. She was overjoyed that it didn’t take years and multiple appeals, like the horror stories on the internet, said could happen.


Further Investigation Established the Justification for Benefits

A very hard-working man with multiple top certifications and experience in search and rescue in the Northwoods mysteriously contracted a form of vertigo and became wheelchair-bound because of it. He was denied benefits multiple times because doctors couldn’t seem to find the cause of vertigo. Nicolet Law Office's John Foss hopped on the case, got the man’s doctors to elaborate on their treatment of the client, and the issues he faced and made sure the judge saw the person the man had become because of the conditions. This resulted in the man receiving the benefits that he needed to address his health issues and lead a fulfilling life.


Unrepresented And Bullied, She Turned To Us And Got A FAIR Hearing

A woman was denied benefits at her hearing after the attorney she had hired didn’t show up and the judge bullied her into firing the attorney and continuing with the hearing, unrepresented. The woman then sought help from Nicolet Law Office and we successfully appealed the decision and got the case remanded for a new hearing. The woman received a fair hearing, this time with a lawyer (John Foss) who was present, prepared, and ready to advocate for her best interests.


An Unconventional Situation Required An Unconventional Solution

A woman had both cancer and a gene mutation that didn’t allow her to receive traditional cancer treatments/medications. The Social Security Administration (SSA) denied her request for benefits, operating under the theory that her form of cancer was treatable and relatively stable. After working with her oncology team and geneticist, to outline how her treatments were extremely taxing and different than traditional methods, we used an innovative approach to get a judge to review our submissions and approve her benefits without a hearing.