Interview with Retired SSA Disability Judge: A look behind the scenes

Рет қаралды 19,805

Күн бұрын

00:00 - Introduction
01:15 - What does it take to become a Social Security Judge
06:35 - Do SSA judges have the option to pick their city they work in
09:25 - SSA Judges School
11:25 - Post SSA Judges School
13:10 - Issues SSA Judges may encouter
14:35 - Expectation from SSA
17:20 - Average time frame of a typical hearing
19:45 - Thoughts on claimants feeling like they lack time in court
25:25 - Do SSA Judges make a decision during the hearing
33:40 - Who writes the SSA Disability Hearing decision
36:25 - What does a typical work week for a SSA Judge
38:45 - Judges win/loss percentage
41:35 - How significant is the role of medical records in influencing a judge's decision
47:30 - What weight doe SSA Judges give other evidence (other than medical)
52:55 - Advice to SSA claimants
In this captivating episode, we embark on an enlightening journey into the world of Social Security Judges, guided by our distinguished guest, Mr. Dan Hyatt, a retired Social Security disability Judge. We will delve into the intricacies of their role, we uncover the qualifications required to become a Social Security Judge and how much autonomy Social Security disability Judges have.
Join us as we navigate through the fascinating landscape of SSA Judges School, gaining insights into the challenges they encounter post-training and the expectations set by the SSA. Discover the average duration of a typical hearing and gain a deeper understanding of claimants' experiences in the courtroom from the Judges perspective.
We'll also unveil the decision-making process during SSA hearings and shed light on who is responsible for crafting the critical SSA Disability Hearing decisions. Mr. Hyatt's extensive experience adds a layer of expertise that brings these topics to life.
Delve into the daily grind of an SSA Judge's workweek, explore the nuances of win/loss percentages, and unravel the significant role that medical records play in influencing their decisions. Additionally, we'll explore how other forms of evidence are considered in the decision-making process.
For those navigating the Social Security system, Mr. Hyatt offers invaluable advice drawn from his illustrious four-decade career. And as an added bonus, we're proud to share that Evans Disability has the honor of having a former Social Security Disability Law Judge like Mr. Hyatt as a member of our esteemed team. Mr. Hyatt currently represents claimants before the Social Security Administration.
Join us for this illuminating conversation as we gain unique insights into a crucial aspect of the Social Security system, enriching your understanding of the inner workings of Social Security Judges' roles.
Links & Resources:
Our mock hearing video:
• Mock SSA Video Hearing...
Evans Disability Website: www.evansdisability.com
Email us: info@evansdisability.com
Call us: 855-503-0101
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Did you find this episode insightful? Please like, subscribe, and share our podcast. Your engagement supports our mission and enables us to reach more individuals embarking on the SSA Disability journey.

Пікірлер: 49

@dawnhughes9942 6 ай бұрын

Invaluable to hear from an actual judge. How kind that he shares his wisdom. I will feel a little less afraid at my hearing.

@AngelaDrapal 6 ай бұрын

I was hit by a semi 70 mph both husband and myself were ejected he did not live I broke everything except my left leg several surgeries including heart brain spinal I was in induced coma 1 month have been fighting for over 2 years I'm a mess physically and mentally I'm going for hearing in couple months I don't understand how it's even questionable as whether I'm broken inside and out

@vn3593 4 ай бұрын

Bless your heart😕 They should never make someone in your shoes wait and beg.

@JoseRodriguez-yr9uv 15 күн бұрын

Excellent inside information for claimants like me. So helpful. Many takeaways but I heard - Be honest - Don’t piss off the judge - it’s 90% about your medical records

@LaurenTaylor-id4gp 7 ай бұрын

Best ssdi podcast I’ve come across 🙌

@podaly 6 ай бұрын

I was told there is almost always (99%) a denial first hearing. Go on to appeal. My best advice is get a disability lawyer. Also SSA gives great weight to VA disability award and vice versa.

@christiandeltoro4114 4 күн бұрын

Hi Honorable Judge Is My Pleasure to Learn From You. We Built The Trust We The People.

@zxatl2003 5 ай бұрын

I really enjoyed watching this video. It gave me a great insight into the position of a social security judge. Thank you for providing us access to this unique information.

@MrScampy1231 8 ай бұрын

Thank you for wisdom

@tomsangiuliano8032 5 ай бұрын

I had a phone hearing and my lawyer told me right before my hearing was to start he knew the judge and said he was a very fair person with favorable approval rating. He also said after the hearing the judge will let my lawyer know the outcome which he did!

@phil_so_good9642 3 ай бұрын

What were the questions the judge asked?

@tomsangiuliano8032 3 ай бұрын

The judge did not ask me any questions regarding my disability. He just summarized my health issues and did ask what i did at my 2nd time last job. There was a vocational job expert in on call also and the judge asked them what other jobs in my category woukd I still be able to perform

@Dave-nz5jf 5 ай бұрын

It's really nice of this judge to do this interview, as he says humility is so important. But he's obviously so different he can't possibly be useful, though he's amazing to listen to.

@kurikat 5 ай бұрын

SSA ended my SSI and SSDI after I moved from North Dakota to California. They started my short for CDR in ND in July, I answered the questions, was told everything is good nothing to worry about. Because I moved, California then said "No, we want to do a LONG FORM CDR", 2 months after I did my short form cdr. So that was in August/October that they started my long form CDR. By January, I was told I am no longer disabled based off a copy and paste reply saying they used my medical records and I don't have to be admitted to a hospital anymore. I'm beyond upset and losing everything and can't believe how generic the termination letter was and how untrue it was. Within 3-4 months they processed my entire long form CDR from start to finish immediately terminating me and giving me a copy and paste letter. I gave them my medical records in December, and by early January they terminated my benefits. How is this allowed? Shouldnt CDRs take longer than that, it doesn't seem like they really looked at my medical records either because absolutely nothing has changed and a new therapist I'm seeing recently diagnosed me with a personality disorder on top of everything else I'm going through. I have no recent work history since 2018 a year before I was approved. So it doesn't make sense. Where did they get the information that I have improved and I'm not disabled anymore? There's literally nothing that supports that, but medical records that support my case. I'm completely broken and lost and can't believe california would do this to me. I even checked their CDR approval rates and they are much lower than other states. Surely it's a budgeting issue?

@AmericanNomad82 4 ай бұрын

Why would anyone ever move to COMMIfornia in the first place? I'm sorry about what happened to you but California is by far one of the most terrible places in the whole entire country... To believe that anything about that place is honest or fair is your first mistake. I hope you leave there and get things fixed some how.

@golferpro1241 4 ай бұрын

I had a tough judge. I had a good law firm ( very good attorney) appealed…got in front of him again..ignored the evidence again..appealed to a federal court and it was remanded to another ALJ and I won. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE REPUTABLE ATTORNEY WHO WINS CASES! Took a few years. Don’t give up.

@evansdisability 4 ай бұрын

I agree. Don't give up!

@AmberShotter-di5jy Ай бұрын

Lawyer ignored me, was rude AF said she would do a mock hearing and waited all day for the phone fall, "oops i forgot he he" afterward never answered the phone.

@joshhubbard8285 6 ай бұрын

The judge in all 3 of my hearings was a jerk and denied me anyways even though doctors agreed I couldn't work and had several conditions that according to SSA qualified me for disability

@AngelaDrapal 6 ай бұрын

I'm going through he'll with all of this

@standingovation3092 2 ай бұрын

How often will an ALJ make a decision without going to a hearing? I have submitted new medical evidence that now shows I have been diagnosed with 2 additional impairment listings. My initial claim was for back, neck and knees. New MRIs show my condition has worsened since my surgeries. Now I have CVI and Rheumatoid arthritis as well as carpal tunnel. They've been reviewing my medical evidence step 3 now for over a year. So everything has been submitted as well as my continued treatments are all current. Wouldn't the system run faster if the ALJ eliminated the strongest cases before the hearing? Especially if medical is 85% 90% part of winning the case. Ive been waiting over 3 years now and thats unacceptable in any type of field. Legal or otherwise. The backlog I've been hearing about over the years is a bunch bull. They could have ordered my medical records and read them 100 times over in the amount of time I and so many others have waited. My attorney scans and sends it directly into my file. Its easily accessible for review. No mailing or paper shuffling. I am sorry for venting and I really do enjoy your videos. I think they're the best on KZfaq hands down. I just wish things were different. The SSA system is broken and its breaking the people now caught up in it. I am now on antidepressants because dealing with my failing health and struggling financially is not a good combination for any human being. I am now broken in so many ways.

@evansdisability 2 ай бұрын

Great question. ALJ's (and attorney advisors) can award a Fully Favorable decision without going to hearing. The frequency is judge dependent. We have some Judges who rarely/never do this and other judges who often call our office and cancel the hearings because they have decided to grant our client a Fully Favorable decision based off the medical records. One thing we do is that if we believe our client can be awarded a Fully Favorable decision we will write the ALJ a legal memorandum called "Request for On The Record decision." In this memo we outline why we believe the case is strong enough based off the medical records that our client does not need to have a hearing. Many times this request will trigger either the ALJ or Attorney advisory to look at the clients file. I would encourage you to reach out to your attorney and see if they believe your file might be one they would be willing to write a request for an On The Record decision for. Hope this information helps and thank you for the question.

@standingovation3092 2 ай бұрын

@@evansdisability Thank you so much. You guys are wonderful.

@TheScapegoat420 7 ай бұрын

Great interview. These judges seem far over worked. That's not fair to them or the people.

@gknicks71 7 ай бұрын

Good luck to us all. 😅

@jeniferschultz1804 6 ай бұрын

Ive slso have heard so many horror stories about ssa Dr's and im scared at what the out come will be 😮

@chartmann43 5 ай бұрын

Watch the videos from a disability doctor! He is amazing! Tells you exactly what to expect and what to do and not to do during your physical exam.

@chartmann43 5 ай бұрын

Jdave Foster is his name on KZfaq! He’s amazing!

@chartmann43 5 ай бұрын

Can you tell us what the 5 questions are? Please 🙏🏼

@gknicks71 7 ай бұрын

I want that 70 to 80 judge. I would be super sad with the 10....😢 I wonder what's my area

@user-ec9rn8xp8x 4 ай бұрын

Why does a social security administration treat everybody like they are a criminal I am 58yrs old I have had over 20 surgeries on my arms and end my legs.I have the scars to prove it I have paid into the system of my whole life And yet they make me feel like a criminal that money is mine

@evansdisability 4 ай бұрын

I'm sorry to hear that SSA has made you feel that way. What was created to be a life boat for people who are disabled is more like an island "mirage" way off in the distance that SSA makes you swim miles and miles for.

@jeniferschultz1804 6 ай бұрын

Does the ssa dr. Get my medical records to date of 2024 and previous years ? I can see tgat mine show the progression of my disabilities

@bacanmora8060 6 ай бұрын

Under the regulations SSA will ask to see all of your medical records one year back from your application date. Yes, they have to consider EVERYTHING in those medical records. Good Luck!

@jeniferschultz1804 6 ай бұрын

I have a dr appointment with the dds ssa dr. In march 2024,im scared to death that he or she will say im not disabled , i would love to still be working at my good paying job thaþi had and it was very physically demanding and i loved it however over time i got to where i couldn't do what i was able to do anymore and its very upsetting, i have learned from one person online says hes a dds ssa dr and to not bring any kind of medical records with my to only bring my medication and id , what should i really bring ?

@RuckMac 6 ай бұрын

First, at your consultative exam in March, just be honest about the symptoms you experiece and how they affect your ability to function in normal daily life. Secondly, if you have had trouble with symptoms at a previous job that interfered with your ability to perform your job, be honest about that as well. And finally, the SS doctors are not judging you as a person they are assessing the symptoms you have, how frequently you have them and how the symptoms you have interfere with your ability to perform work like activities on a regular basis in a work setting. Hope this is helpful.

@jeniferschultz1804 6 ай бұрын

Im trying to get ssi not ssdi

@seank4148 6 ай бұрын

My judge denied me due to one comment during a 15 minute SSA doctor government. Everything my doctors was basically ignored. Social security is a scam

@bacanmora8060 6 ай бұрын

You got fifteen minutes with your CE Doctor?! Mine saw me for FIVE minutes!; half of which, he spent talking about himself and the other half mocking me. The Social Security Administration is much more than a "scam"; it is utterly corrupt and dysfunctional! Just like the rest of the Federal Government.

@user-fr9bn5kc9y 7 ай бұрын

What this judge approvel rate? U tlking with now

@jacksonlee3771 6 ай бұрын

Ambulance chasers.

@bazurk_dot_com 5 ай бұрын

I had my hearing a few days ago, while I don't know the verdict, the judge was compassionate and empathetic. I was scared out of my mind and he made it go as easy as possible.

@dede_ramirez 5 ай бұрын

I have my hearing next month, may I ask you what where the questions you were asked? I’m terrified about it😬

@golferpro1241 4 ай бұрын

@@dede_ramirezdon’t be terrified. Be honest. The record is the record. What you say really can’t change the medical records

@AmberShotter-di5jy Ай бұрын

Not mine, he seemed annoyed