The residents of Fort Smith, Arkansas (Sebastian County) have access to many legal professionals who are available to help with the Social Security disability application process. A Fort Smith Social Security Disability lawyer can often help applicants receive disability benefits and avoid long processing times.
Currently there are 2,340 pending cases in the Fort Smith Hearing Office and the wait time is 248 days. While the wait for Social Security Disability benefits is often long, Fort Smith residents find that disability benefits are worth waiting for. As of December 2011, Sebastian County was home to 6,250 SSDI beneficiaries and 56,702 SSI beneficiaries.
To learn more about Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security income click here.
To apply for disability benefits, Fort Smith residents can fill out an electronic application online or they can fill out a hard copy in person. However, to apply in person, applicants must make an appointment with their closest Arkansas SSA office.
Consulting with a Fort Smith Social Security Disability Attorney
Because the Social Security Disability application process can be difficult at times, it may be in your best interest to retain the services of a qualified disability attorney or advocate. An attorney is already familiar with Social Security Disability and will be able to relieve some of the stress and pressure that often accompanies the application process. If you are interested in learning about the benefits of consulting with a Social Security Disability attorney, see this page.
A Fort Smith Social Security attorney will also handle disability claims for other Sebastian county residents, as well as claims in Crawford and Franklin counties, and towns such as Van Buren, Fayetteville, Tahlequah, Siloam Springs, and Springdale. Contact your local Bar Association for more information about the legal professionals near Fort Smith:
Arkansas Bar Association
2224 Cottondale Lane
Little Rock, AR
72202
Fort Smith Disability Hearings
If an applicant’s initial claim and “Request for Reconsideration” have been denied, he or she will need to request a hearing to be held at the Fort Smith Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR).
Below is a list of the approval rates for the administrative law judges who hear cases in the Fort Smith Hearing Office:
| ALJ | Approval Rate |
| Davis, Harold D. | 40.88% |
| Jones, Bill | 43.28% |
| Murdock, Alexis | 31.54% |
| Neel, Glenn A. | 52.53% |
| Shilling, Clifford | 33.33% |
| Starr, Edward M. | 29.90% |
*Data from http://www.ssa.gov/appeals/DataSets/03_ALJ_Disposition_Data.html
It is often common for Fort Smith disability attorneys to know the judges who hear cases in the Fort Smith hearing office. They can use this insight to present your case in the most effective manner possible.
As with the initial application, scheduling a hearing can take a long time. If you find you cannot wait a long period of time to have your hearing, you can contact your congressman to ask that he request that the ODAR schedule your hearing sooner. Find your local congressman’s contact information below:
423 North 6th Street
Fort Smith, Arkansas 72902
Telephone: (479)424-1146
Fill out the form below for a free legal consultation with a Fort Smith attorney:
