Social Security Disability Attorney in Sherman Oaks, CA

If you cannot work because of a medical condition, Social Security Disability benefits exist for exactly that situation. Getting them is another matter. Most initial applications are denied, often for reasons that have nothing to do with how sick or injured you actually are — a missing record, an unanswered questionnaire, a doctor’s note that describes your diagnosis but never explains what you can no longer do.

Pisegna & Zimmerman has represented disability claimants in Sherman Oaks and across California for years. We handle applications, reconsiderations and hearings before Administrative Law Judges, and we work on contingency — there is no fee unless you win benefits.

Call (818) 888-8888 for a free consultation.

SSDI and SSI: two different programs

People use “disability” to mean one thing. The Social Security Administration runs two programs, and which one applies to you changes the entire analysis.

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is an earned benefit. You qualify through your work history — you paid into the system, and now you draw on it. The amount depends on your earnings record, not your current financial need. If you have worked steadily and recently, this is usually your program.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is needs-based. It does not require a work history, which makes it the route for people who became disabled young, who have worked very little, or whose work was too long ago to count. But it imposes strict limits on income and countable resources, and those limits are low.

It is also possible to receive both — a “concurrent” claim — if your SSDI payment is small enough that you still fall under the SSI thresholds.

The medical standard is identical in both programs. The financial and technical rules are not. If you are unsure which applies, read our detailed comparison of the difference between SSI and SSDI, or just call and ask.

Do you qualify?

Social Security does not ask whether you are unwell. It asks a narrower question: can you do any substantial gainful work, anywhere in the national economy, given your medical condition, age, education and work experience — and is that expected to last at least twelve months or end in death.

That framing catches people out. Claimants are frequently denied because the file proves a serious diagnosis but never establishes what the diagnosis *prevents them from doing*. Those are different evidentiary problems, and only the second one wins.

SSA works through a five-step sequential evaluation: are you working above the substantial gainful activity level; is your impairment severe; does it meet or equal a listing in SSA’s *Listing of Impairments* (the “Blue Book”); can you still do your past work; and can you adjust to other work. Age matters considerably at the final step — the rules are meaningfully more favourable for older claimants.

For SSDI specifically, you also need enough recent work credits to be “insured.” Long gaps out of the workforce can leave someone medically disabled but technically ineligible, which is one reason to check eligibility before assuming.

More detail: SSD benefits eligibility and qualifying for SSI/SSD.

Conditions that qualify

There is no fixed list of “approved” illnesses. SSA’s Blue Book covers major body systems — musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, mental disorders, immune system, cancers and more — but you do not have to match a listing to win. Most approvals happen at the later steps, based on what your combined limitations mean in practice.

We regularly work on claims involving degenerative disc disease and chronic back conditions, depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder, autoimmune and inflammatory conditions, cancer and treatment side effects, neurological disorders, cardiac conditions, and diabetes with complications.

Two points worth knowing. First, combinations matter — several moderate conditions together can be disabling even where no single one qualifies alone, and SSA is required to consider them together. Second, mental health conditions are frequently under-documented, because the medical file records medication changes but not the functional consequences.

See the top conditions that qualify for disability benefits.

How to apply

You can apply online, by phone, or in person at a field office. The application is long, and the questions that look administrative are often the ones that decide the claim — particularly the work history and the daily-activities questionnaire, where people routinely describe a good day rather than a typical one.

What actually helps:

– Complete, current medical records from every treating provider, not just the specialist. – Function, not just diagnosis. How long you can sit, stand, walk; what you can lift; how often you need to rest; how the condition affects concentration and attendance. – Consistency. Contradictions between your forms, your testimony and your medical file are the most common reason a credible claim fails. – Answering everything SSA sends, on time. Unreturned forms produce denials that have nothing to do with your health.

Step-by-step: the SSD application process.

Denied? That is not the end of it

A denial is normal, and it is not final. There is a defined appeals path, and each stage has its own deadline — generally 60 days from the date of the notice. Miss it and you may have to start over, losing your protected filing date and potentially months of back pay.

1. Reconsideration — a fresh review by someone new at the state agency. 2. Hearing before an Administrative Law Judge — the most important stage. You testify, a judge asks questions, and vocational or medical experts often testify too. This is where representation matters most and where many previously denied claims are won. 3. Appeals Council review. 4. Federal district court.

If you have been denied, read SSD denial and reconsideration or go straight to our Los Angeles disability appeals page. Do not let the 60 days run while you decide.

Back pay and retroactive benefits

Approved claimants are usually owed money for the period they were already disabled and waiting. SSDI has a five-month waiting period, and can reach back a limited number of months before your application date; SSI generally runs from the application date. “Back pay” and “retroactive benefits” are not the same thing, and the difference affects what you receive: see back pay vs. retroactive benefits.

Disability benefits for children

A child can qualify for SSI based on their own disability, subject to household income and resource rules, and the standard for children is different from the adult standard — it looks at functioning across defined domains rather than capacity for work. See SSD/SSI for children and our Los Angeles SSI for children lawyer page.

SSDI, SSI and health coverage

Benefits are rarely just about the monthly payment — health coverage often matters more. SSDI entitlement leads to Medicare after a qualifying period, while SSI recipients in California are generally eligible for Medi-Cal, and California adds a state supplementary payment on top of the federal SSI amount. Details: SSDI/SSI and Medicare.

If your disability claim overlaps with a private policy through your employer, see long-term disability claims — the standards are different and the two can interact.

Areas we serve

From our Sherman Oaks office we represent claimants across Southern California:

Sherman Oaks · Los Angeles · Long Beach · San Bernardino · Norwalk · Bakersfield · Santa Barbara

Why Pisegna & Zimmerman

Disability work is detail work. Cases are won by building a file that answers the question SSA is actually asking, and by being ready at the hearing — not by filing forms faster.

Our attorneys handle these claims directly. Our multilingual team assists clients in Spanish, Farsi, Armenian and Cambodian. Consultations are free, and we work on contingency: no fee unless you win. In disability cases attorney fees are set and approved by the Social Security Administration and paid out of past-due benefits, so you are not asked for money up front.

You can also review our recent case results and disability FAQs.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a disability claim take? Initial decisions commonly take months, and appeals — particularly the wait for an ALJ hearing — can take considerably longer. Timelines vary by office and by year. Applying promptly and answering SSA’s requests immediately are the two things within your control.

Can I work while my claim is pending? Limited work is possible, but earnings above SSA’s substantial gainful activity threshold will generally defeat the claim outright, and even lower earnings can be used as evidence you are capable of working. Get advice before taking a job while a claim is pending.

Do I need a lawyer to apply? No. But representation matters most at the hearing stage, and getting the medical evidence right early is easier than fixing a weak file on appeal. There is no cost to ask.

What does a disability lawyer cost? Fees are contingent, set and approved by SSA, and taken from past-due benefits — capped by SSA rules. If you do not win, there is no fee.

My claim was denied. Should I appeal or start a new application? Usually appeal. Re-filing can forfeit your protected filing date and the back pay attached to it. Appealing also keeps the existing record and its deadlines intact. Speak to someone before the 60 days expire.

Does a diagnosis guarantee approval? No. SSA decides based on functional limitation, not diagnosis. Two people with the same condition can get opposite outcomes depending on what the file proves about what they can still do.

Talk to us

If you are preparing an application, waiting on a decision, or holding a denial letter, the sooner you get advice the more of your options are still open — especially where a 60-day appeal deadline is running.

Pisegna & Zimmerman, LLC 5170 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Suite 230, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403 (818) 888-8888 — free consultation Contact us