Hi, I'm Patrick Hartwig, and I'm a Social Security Disability Attorney in Massachusetts.
Maribel was a 50-year-old pharmacy technician when she was forced to stop working because of severe osteoarthritis in both knees and other joints. She was now out of work, in severe constant pain, struggling financially, and naturally became very depressed in the process.
"When she first contacted us, she needed help but had no idea where to turn. I had reached out to someone, and Patrick's office called me the next day. I was actually happy. I was so happy that they called me the next day, and my husband was like, 'How did you just do that out of the blue? You trust these people.' And I'm like, 'Well, they called me. I feel I can trust these people,' and I stuck with them."
So, what we did is we helped her apply for disability benefits and walked her through the whole process. This meant encouraging her to keep seeing her doctors, making sure she completed all additional forms along the way, attending every examination that Social Security scheduled for her, and filing every appeal after she was denied.
"They did everything for me. I didn't need to do anything. I didn't need to get in touch with Social Security or anything. They did everything for me. You know, I would say, 'What's going on?' And they would say, 'Just hold on, take it easy, don't worry.' And that's what I did. The second time, I was denied again, and don't worry, we're gonna appeal it. It's a process."
By the time we reached the hearing in front of a Social Security judge, Maribel had been out of work for over two years. Despite the fact that Maribel did everything her doctors asked of her, her health did not improve significantly.
"I felt that Patrick did an awesome job. He talked to the judge, and we had awesome communication between the three of us. And when I got out of there, I said, 'I know this is gonna happen.' I felt very confident."
Before the hearing, we were able to obtain two supportive forms from her doctors outlining the reasons why she would not be able to continue working on a full-time basis. In the end, the Social Security judge was forced to agree, and she was approved for disability benefits.
"They get the job done. Their whole staff is awesome. I love them. If I had to go through this again, I would go with them."
Now, I imagine you may have questions specific to you, so I urge you to pick up the phone and call me at the number below. Social Security Disability is all I do.
I'm Patrick Hartwig. Thanks for watching. Have a great day.