It can be difficult to pay your bills when you are disabled and out of work. Lake Charles (Calcasieu Parish) disability attorneys can help you receive the benefits that you are entitled to from the Social Security Administration (SSA). Your attorney will assist you in determining whether you should apply for SSDI or SSI benefits. As of December 2011, there were 6,640 people receiving SSDI benefits and 6,052 were receiving SSI benefits in Calcasieu Parish.
You can get more information about applying for disability here or at your local SSA office:
825 Ryan Street
Lake Charles, LA 70601
Phone: (337) 433-0643
Lake Charles Disability Attorney
You should hire a Lake Charles disability attorney if you are not comfortable applying for disability on your own. Your attorney will make sure that you have all of the necessary paperwork on file to ensure that the SSA properly evaluates your claim.
Learn more about hiring a disability attorney here or by contact the bar association listed below:
Louisiana State Bar Association
601 St. Charles Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70130
A Lake Charles Social Security Disability Lawyer will generally also handle claims in:
- Sulphur
- Jennings
- Crowley
- Eunice
- Abbeville
- Opelousas
- Orange, TX
- Beaumont, TX
- Lumberton, TX
- Port Arthur, TX
Lake Charles Disability Hearings
Most claims are denied during the initial claim stage and claimants will have to attend a disability hearing at the New Orleans Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR) in order to be approved for benefits. Currently there are 4,870 cases pending at the New Orleans ODAR, with an average wait time of 297 days to have a hearing scheduled.
The congressman for the Lake Charles area is located at:
Capital One Tower
One Lakeshore Drive, Suite 1775
Lake Charles, LA 70629D
Phone: (337) 433-1747
You can contact the office to see if it is possible to have your hearing scheduled sooner.
Between October 2012 and January 2013, the New Orleans ODAR had 1505 hearings scheduled and 77.3% of them were successfully resolved (approved or denied). The 10 judges assigned to hear the cases were able to handle about 2 hearings per day each on average. Video hearings are an option for individuals who are unable to travel. Approximately 30% of the hearings at the New Orleans ODAR were video hearings.
If you have not already hired an attorney, you should hire one before attending your hearing. Fill out the form below for a free evaluation of your disability claim.
