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Getting a Disability Lawyer in North Carolina for a Social Security or SSI ClaimIf you are applying for Social Security Disability (SSD) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) in North Carolina, your odds of winning benefits are significantly lower than those of applicants in other states. Less than 33 percent of disability applicants in North Carolina are approved for SSD/SSI, and even fewer appeals are won in this state—more than 8 out of 10 appeals to North Carolina disability determination services (DDS) were denied (again below the national average). As these statistics demonstrate, residents of North Carolina are highly likely to be denied benefits by DDS, both upon initial application and at the level of first appeal (also called a request for reconsideration). Does this mean that it’s a complete waste of time to apply for disability in North Carolina? Absolutely not. Instead, SSD/SSI applicants should prepare for the fact that, in order to be awarded benefits in North Carolina, they will most likely have to appeal their case not once, but twice. The second appeal is really a request to have an SSD/SSI case heard before a federal administrative law judge (ALJ). At this point, any applicant who is serious about receiving a favorable disability decision and winning disability benefits should definitely consult a disability attorney. Although it takes months (sometimes, unfortunately, a year or more) to get your SSD or SSI case before an ALJ, the decision in such cases is usually in favor of the applicant when he or she is represented by an experienced disability attorney. In fact, disability claimants represented by an attorney are less likely to receive a social security disability denial; in fact, more than sixty percent likely to win benefits. This is probably because attorneys are better at preparing for legal presentations and more familiar with North Carolina State disability laws in general. It only stands to reason that an attorney will be able to present a stronger case to a judge than a claimant. Given that North Carolina awards so few applicants benefits, and that a disability hearing before an ALJ is the best chance disability applicants have of succeeding, it is highly recommended that anyone in this state retain some form of legal counsel before their second appeal, which is the disability hearing if not sooner. 
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