Disability Claim Denied in Grants Pass?

Why Were You Denied Disability Benefits in Grants Pass?

Probably from the first moment you submitted your application, you wondered what are the signs that you will be denied for disability benefits.

Now that it’s happened, we can share with you the most common problems that we’ve seen from helping thousands of people. You can correct these problems and get a better chance at winning benefits.

Any of these things could be happening:

• Social Security doesn’t think your health problems are severe enough to qualify.You’ll need to add medical records and evidence to your file.
• You haven’t gotten consistent enough medical treatment. Social Security sees regular doctor visits and follow-ups on your treatment as signs that your condition is serious, and that you take it seriously.
• You’re still working. You can’t earn too much, or work too strenuously, and still qualify for disability benefits.
• Your application was incomplete. Missing information, conflicting information, errors in your information and too little detail can all sink your disability claim.
• Your medical evidence was too thin. The backbone of your disability claim is your medical evidence. You need reports from doctors, medical test results, hospitalization records, medical imaging like X-rays, and many other kinds of records that come out of going in for medical care.

This is a lot of homework, but you can get help with your homework.

The first thing to do when you get a denial letter is see if Social Security gave a reason or at least hinted at a reason why you were denied disability benefits.

Then you can get a disability attorney to analyze your case and look for the faults that may have gotten you denied.

Your attorney helps you build a stronger case, so when you appeal the denial, you get a better chance.

Talk to us about it. We don’t charge anything for a conversation to see where you stand.

Get a FREE disability appeal consultation in Grants Pass.

What’s Next After Your Disability Claim Is Denied in Grants Pass

Social Security gives you several chances to appeal your disability denial. Each step has different requirements.

Step One: Ask Social Security to reconsider their decision. You can update your file for a new reviewer at Social Security to take another look. It’s still hard to get approved at this level. In Oregon in 2023, about 17 percent of reconsideration requests won approval of benefits. But a few more people make it through.

Step Two: Hearing with a Social Security Disability judge. For most people, this is the heart of their disability appeal. This is the best chance to get approved. In Oregon in mid-2025, two-thirds of people were getting approved after their hearings. You get to talk directly to a real person in your hearing. You’ll need updated evidence, and you’ll need to prepare to testify.

Step Three: Appeals Council review. If the judge still turns you down, you can ask a group at Social Security called the Appeals Council to review the judge’s decision. You’ll write them with technical, legal arguments for why the judge made a mistake. You can’t add new evidence here. You should get help from someone with legal knowledge.

Step Four: Federal court appeal. If the Appeals Council doesn’t approve your benefits or send your case back to the judge with instructions to re-do their decision, you may need to sue Social Security in federal court. Now you send your file to a federal judge and ask them to overrule Social Security. You need a lawyer admitted to practice in federal court. The judge’s decision will be based on everything that has happened in your case previously with no updates or new information allowed.

The Grants Pass disability attorneys at Wells, Manning, Eitenmiller & Taylor are highly experienced at every level of Social Security Disability appeals.

It’s best to get us on your case as early in your appeal as possible, partly because you can’t add new evidence in later stages of appeals, so you want a lawyer to anticipate all the evidence you’ll need and get it added to your case early on.

When your disability claim is denied in Grants Pass, your hope for financial relief with debilitating health problems isn’t over.

You’ve just got more work to do—but your disability lawyer can handle the work.

Let us help, so you can know your disability claim is in capable hands and your chance at financial relief, stability and peace is still alive.

Contact our disability lawyers in Grans Pass.