Bakersfield, California (Kern County) is home to many qualified Social Security Disability lawyers who are available to help the disabled community apply for disability benefits. In December 2011, these legal professionals helped a total of 20,020 Kern County residents receive SSDI and another 33,616 Kern County residents receive SSI benefits. If you or a loved one can no longer work due to disability or illness, a Bakersfield lawyer can help you get the financial assistance you need.
For more information regarding the two disability programs, visit our page outlining SSI and SSDI. You can also contact your local Social Security office to ask any other questions you may have. The office located closest to Bakersfield can be reached at the following address:
5300 Office Park Drive
Suite 100
Bakersfield, CA 93309
Telephone: 661-861-4242
Hiring a Bakersfield Disability Attorney
Many applicants for Social Security Disability benefits make the mistake of assuming that the application process will be simple. In truth, the application process is known for being long and often very confusing.
To avoid costly mistakes on your application, it may be best for you to hire an experienced Bakersfield attorney. Learn about the advantages of having a legal professional represent you, here.
A Bakersfield Social Security Disability lawyer will also handle disability claims in the following cities located in Kern County, Los Angeles County, Ventura County, Santa Barbara County, San Luis Obispo County, Kings County, Tulare County, San Bernadino County, and Inyo County: McFarland, Delano, Wofford Heights, Lamont, Arvin, Frazier Park, Ford City, Santa Maria, Rosamond, Lancaster, Palmdale, Santa Clarita, Santa Barbara, Oxnard, Thousand Oaks, Burbank, Tulare, and Visalia.
To inquire about the legal professionals in the Bakersfield area, contact the Kern County Bar Association:
Kern County Bar Association
1675 Chester Avenue, Suite 220
Bakersfield, CA. 93301
Bakersfield Disability Hearings
Although applicants would rather be approved during the initial application stage, this isn’t often the case. If your initial application is denied, you can schedule an appeal hearing to take place in front of an administrative law judge—or ALJ. The majority of Bakersfield appeal hearings are held in the San Francisco Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR). Currently in the San Francisco hearing office there are 2,928 pending cases and there is a wait time amounting to 347 days.
If your disability claim proceeds to the hearing stage, the following statistics taken between December 2012 and January 2013 may help you and your attorney prepare for your hearing:
- 1,030 disability hearings were scheduled to be held in the San Francisco hearing office.
- Out of the 1,030 hearings scheduled, 81.65% were resolved—meaning they ended with an approval, partial approval, or denial.
- There are 8 judges who hear disability appeals in the San Francisco ODAR.
- Each of these 8 judges handled an average of 1.6 dispositions per day—suggesting that the entire San Francisco office handled an average of 12.8 dispositions each day.
- 34.62% of disability appeal hearings were held in person while the remainder were conducted through video conferencing.
Although these statistics may not seem important to you now, a Bakersfield attorney or advocate will understand how to use this information to your advantage when it comes time for your disability appeal hearing.
For applicants who cannot wait for their scheduled hearing—due to extreme illness or financial crisis—you can contact your local congressperson to request that he or she intervene with the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review on your behalf to expedite your appeal. Your congressperson's office is:
Bakersfield Office
4100 Empire Drive, Suite 150
Bakersfield, CA 93309
For more on disability benefits in California, see How To Qualify For Disability In California.
Complete the form below to speak with an attorney or advocate for free:
