Atlanta SSDI & SSI Attorney

You’ve worked all of your life and you just can’t do it anymore. What now? 

If you’ve made it to this webpage, you’ve already done some research and are at least considering filing for Social Security Disability benefits. No matter where you’re at in the process of getting Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), our experienced Atlanta disability law firm near you is here to help. Perhaps you’ve already filed and received a denial and want help with the appeal. Or maybe you received a notice of hearing and want help. At Joel Thrift Law, we help people all over Georgia with every aspect of the Social Security Disability process. Let us worry about the details so you don’t have to. As an Atlanta SSDI lawyer, we help with the following:

• ✓ SSDI & SSI Applications
• ✓ Reconsideration Appeals
• ✓ Hearing Appeals
• ✓ Hearings
• ✓ Appeals Council appeals

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Client Reviews

You’re looking for the best disability lawyer in Atlanta. Joel Thrift has a proven track record of fighting for clients.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Mr. Thrift helped me move along my case and always called back the same day or within a couple of hours to answer any questions or concerns I had. He helped me not only get my case approved but helped me in the steps following our favorable decision.” -Morgan S.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I had been denied disability by Social Security. I hired Joel for my appeal. Joel handles all of the documentation for the appeals, obtaining doctor’s documentation and creating exhibits for the trial. Joel and his team guide you throughout the entire process. We won our court case and I very grateful to Joel and his staff and you will be too if you hire him.” – Michael C.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I requested Joel’s legal assistance for the SSI disability hearing scheduled for my daughter. Joel took the time to explain what to expect during the actual hearing. He kept in touch with us and made himself available if I had any questions or concerns. He has a calm demeanor. He is great to work with. In the end, my daughter was awarded Social Security benefits in the state of GA.” -Carrie H.

(see our 40+ reviews on Google Maps, 4.7 avg rating as of 11/2021)

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FAQs About Social Security Disability in Georgia

• Why hire an SSDI or SSI attorney in Atlanta?
• Where are you in the SSDI/SSI process?
  • I want help applying for Social Security disability
  • I’ve applied for Social Security Disability and now I want help
  • I got denied disability and need help with my Reconsideration Appeal
  • I got denied disability again and need help requesting a hearing
  • My SSDI/SSI hearing was scheduled and I need help at the hearing
  • It’s the week of the disability hearing, what now?
  • I had my hearing. What’s next?

Types of Injuries

• Back Pain
• ACL Tear
• Arachnoiditis
• Avascular Necrosis of Hip
• Broken Hip
• Degenerative Disc Disease
• Facet Arthritis
• Herniated Disc
• Hip Arthritis
• Hip Dysplasia
• Knee Arthritis
• Knee Fracture
• Knee Pain
• MCL Tear
• Neck Pain
• Knee Osteoarthritis
• Rheumatoid Arthritis of the Knee
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Why hire an SSDI or SSI attorney in Atlanta?

1. We know what you need to prove.

Proving you are disabled seems simple enough, but even the definition of the word “disabled” is complicated and is different depending on your age. It’s not enough to just show you can’t do your old job. At Joel Thrift Law, we can help you understand what evidence you need to provide, what you need to prove, and how to prove it.

2. The process is complicated.

The further you get into the SSDI/SSI process, the more complicated it gets.

You might be able to file the initial application yourself, but:

• Will you be able to get your medical records to the judge in time?
• What do all the forms they’re sending you mean?

Joel Thrift Law has many years of guiding people through the process. We’ve helped many people successfully get their SSDI/SSI benefits.

We can upload your medical records to the judge with the click of a computer mouse while you’re trying to figure out how fax records with a barcode on top and facing the correct direction.

3. It’s relatively cheap.

You pay no money upfront. We get paid a percentage of the backpay once you win and even then the fees are capped at $7200. $7200 might seem like a lot of money, but not compared to what you gain if you win your case. If you win, you will get back pay and you can get benefits for years into the future. We take no fee on your future benefits. You can also get Medicare or Medicaid that will provide medical benefits worth even more than the monthly benefits. There’s too much on the line to not ask for help from an attorney. At Joel Thrift Law, we have years of experience and have won hundreds of Social Security Disability cases in Georgia.

Where are you in the SSDI/SSI process?

No matter where you are in the process, we can help. I would encourage you to hire us as early as possible to make sure the case is going in the right direction from the beginning. However, if you’ve waited, we can still help. We know that some people struggle through the process until they finally realize they need help. It’s not too late to contact us.

I want help applying for Social Security disability

If you’re just getting started you want to ask the basic questions before applying. Do you qualify for SSDI or SSI and how much will you get if you win your case? Both questions depend on how much you paid into the system. If you need help answering whether you qualify for disability or how much you will get, contact us and we’ll be happy to walk you through the requirements. Then we can decide if it’s best for you to go ahead and file the application.

Filing the SSDI or SSI application – we can help you file the application online. Before filing, you’ll need to gather information about past work and the names and addresses of your doctors. With that information, we can help you file the application online.

I’ve applied for Social Security Disability and now I want help

Now that you’ve filed your application, your local Social Security office will organize your paperwork and forward it to the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) in Stone Mountain, Georgia.

Once the case is sent to DAS, that office will assign the case to an adjudicator. The adjudicator’s job is to collect your medical records and schedule you for a consultative examination with one of Social Security’s doctors if necessary. Once the adjudicator has all of the information, a doctor will review your records and either approve or deny your claim.

You will also get forms like the function report and a jobs history report.

These forms can be overwhelming.

We can guide you through them.

At Joel Thrift Law, we can help you understand how to fill out the function report and the job history report. We can also help you get important records and doctor’s opinions to your adjudicator.

The most important thing to do after you have filed your application is to make sure you appeal your case if you are denied. Sometimes Social Security makes mistakes and sends the denial to the wrong place. At Joel Thrift Law, we routinely check the status of cases with DAS to make sure the cases are still pending.

I got denied disability and need help with my Reconsideration Appeal

We can help and you can still win. At Joel Thrift Law, we can help you file your appeal.

You have 60 days to file your appeal for reconsideration, so please do not wait to contact us.

It’s fairly simple to file a reconsideration appeal online. Once we have filed your reconsideration appeal, you will go through the same process a second time that you went through with your initial disability review. You will get the function report again and the job history report again.

The only difference is that you will have a different adjudicator.

The new adjudicator will update your medical record with any new records we tell them about on your appeal.

At Joel Thrift Law, we will continue to check the status of your case. Most people do not win at the reconsideration level, so the most important thing to do is look out for reconsideration denial and file the appeal.

I got denied disability again and need help requesting a hearing

Filing the appeal is fairly simple. We can help you file it online. Once your appeal is filed, the case is transferred to a hearing office. In North Georgia, those Social Security hearing offices are located in:

• Downtown Atlanta
• Covington
• Alpharetta
• Athens
• Columbus
• Macon

If you live in Cartersville or Rome, GA, your case might even wind up at the Chattanooga, TN hearing office.

At the hearing level, we can finally review your entire file electronically. We can see all your medical records including any consultative examinations. We can also see the full explanation for why you were denied. Without an attorney, you will not have access to your file electronically. You can request a copy of your file and the hearing office is supposed to send you a CD with all of your records, but it will not be in an easy-to-read format. 

If you have put off hiring an experienced Georgia disability attorney prior to the hearing level, I implore you to hire one now. You do not want to go through the hearing process alone.  At the hearing level, social security does nothing to help prepare your case. They will not order medical records for you. You risk going to a hearing with all of your records missing.

My SSDI/SSI hearing was scheduled and I need help at the hearing

Once the Social Security hearing is scheduled, it’s time to really work to get all of your medical records. You do not want to go to a hearing without all of your medical records. You will need to submit your records at least 5 days before the hearing or provide a letter explaining why you haven’t been able to get the records. If you haven’t gotten your doctor to fill out a questionnaire about your pain, now is the time to do it.

We can do all of this for you. We have gotten really good at getting medical records through experience. Rarely, we’ll need your help getting records. You would be surprised at how difficult it can be to just get your medical records. For example, the Veterans Administration (VA) makes it nearly impossible for us to get your records, but they will provide them to you the same day.

It’s the week of the disability hearing, what now?

The week of the hearing, we always schedule time to prepare our clients for the hearing. We tell you what to expect. We go through your medical record with you and focus your testimony on things that will help you win your case. We have experience with all of the judges in North Georgia so we know what to expect from each one. We’ll explain what the vocational expert is so that nothing will surprise you at the hearing. If you’ve waited until now to consider hiring an experienced Social Security Disability attorney in Georgia, you will probably want to ask the judge for a postponement until you can find one because you do not want to go to a hearing by yourself. Why? There are likely medical records missing from your file and your testimony might not help your case. 

I had my hearing, what’s next?

Now you wait for the disability judge’s decision. You’re obviously hoping for a fully favorable decision.

If you get a fully favorable decision, you will then get a Notice of Award that explains how much you will get. The local Social Security office might need more information before they can pay you. If so, make sure you return their call.

If your decision says unfavorable, you will need to consider your options. You can either:

• Appeal the case to the appeals’ council.
• File a new application.

You might need Social Security Benefits for a variety of medical conditions, including but not limited to: knee bursitis, patellar tendinitis, perthes disease, hip fractures, hip pain, osteoarthritis in your spine, radiculopathy, sciatica, spinal stenosis, spine problems, torn meniscus, and even PTSD. You will need help making this important decision about Social Security disability. Joel Thrift Law is a top disability lawyer near Atlanta that’s here for you!

Joel Thrift Law LLC

Phone: (404) 618-4816

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Serving all of central Georgia, with offices in Fulton County, Rockdale County & Bartow County, GA: