Many individuals in San Diego (San Diego County) are no longer able to work due to a disability or illness. Fortunately, San Diego is home to many experienced Social Security Disability lawyers who are available to help people file for disability benefits. With the assistance of a lawyer, you may be able to avoid long wait times and receive a positive decision on your disability claim.
Currently the processing time in the San Diego Hearing Office has reached 387 days and they are dealing with 3,800 pending cases. Although having to wait over a year for disability benefits can be stressful, San Diego residents often find that disability payments are worth the wait time. As of December 2011, there were 49,320 SSDI recipients and 83,160 SSI recipients living in San Diego County.
For more information on the SSI and SSDI programs click here.
To apply for disability benefits, San Diego residents can fill out an application in person at their local SSA office or they can complete an electronic application online. For more information or guidance, you can contact your local Social Security office at the following address:
1333 Front Street
San Diego, CA 92101
Telephone: 619-557-5257
Consulting with a San Diego Social Security Disability Attorney
It may be in your best interest to retain the services of a San Diego Social Security Disability attorney or advocate. An attorney will have thorough knowledge of the application process and will be able to offer you step-by-step instructions on how to proceed.
If you wish to learn more about the benefits of consulting with a disability attorney or advocate click here.
A San Diego Social Security Disability lawyer will also handle disability claims in the following cities located in San Diego County, Imperial County, Orange County, and Riverside County: Chula Vista, National City, Imperial Beach, Lemon Grove, Spring Valley, La Mesa, El Cajon, Santee, Winter Garden, Poway, Encinitas, Carlsbad, Oceanside, San Marcos, Escondido, La Presa, and Jamul. For more information about the legal professionals in San Diego County, contact the San Diego County Bar Association:
San Diego County Bar Association
401 West A Street, Ste. 1100
San Diego, CA 92101
San Diego Disability Hearings
If your initial claim is denied, you will be required to request a hearing to be held at the San Diego Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR). Following is a list of the administrative law judges (ALJs) who hear cases in the San Diego Hearing Office:
| ALJ | Approval Rate |
| Benham, Eric V. | 58.80% |
| Cole, Donald P. | 37.74% |
| Delphey, James | 24.17% |
| Dietterle, Keith | 43.65% |
| Greenberg, Mark B. | 50.77% |
| Henrie, Robin L. | 18.40% |
| Iafe, Robert | 40.13% |
| Levine, Jay E. | 50.23% |
| Messer, Kevin W. | 40.40% |
| Mueller, William K. | 56.29% |
| Richardson, Michael B. | 31.82% |
| Schum, Randolph E. | 18.93% |
| Treblin, Howard K. | 49.60% |
| Valentino, Peter J. | 45.93% |
| Verne, Andrew | 12.50% |
*Data from http://www.ssa.gov/appeals/DataSets/03_ALJ_Disposition_Data.html
It is not uncommon for San Diego disability lawyers to be familiar with the administrative law judges who hear cases in the San Diego hearing office. They can use this insight to your advantage when preparing your disability case.
Like the initial application, scheduling an appeal hearing may take a long time. If you cannot wait a long period of time—due to financial or medical distress—you should consider requesting a congressional inquiry. To do so, you must contact your local congressperson to explain the circumstances surrounding your disability claim. He or she may be able to intervene with ODAR on your behalf and expedite your claim. Your local congresperson can be reached at the following address:
2700 Adams Avenue, Suite 102
San Diego, CA 92116
Telephone: (619)280-5353
For more on disability benefits in California, see How To Qualify For Disability In California.
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