The denial letter from Social Security sits on your kitchen table, alongside mounting medical bills and past-due notices. After months of struggling with your impairment, you expected your SSDI application would be approved. Instead, you're facing a confusing appeals process that could determine your financial future.
Many qualified people receive disability denials due to technical details or insufficient evidence about their inability to work. Our Boston disability lawyer connects SSDI applicants with relevant vocational experts to strengthen their Social Security disability appeals and secure the financial benefits they deserve.
Vocational Experts in Social Security Disability Hearings
When your Social Security Disability case reaches the hearing stage, vocational experts often play a decisive role in determining whether you'll receive SSDI benefits. These professionals provide specialized testimony about work requirements and job availability that directly impact how an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) views your ability to work.
Types of Vocational Experts in SSDI Cases
Vocational experts possess detailed knowledge of the physical and mental demands of different occupations as classified in the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT) and other vocational resources.
Examples of vocational experts include:
- Rehabilitation counselors. These professionals assess functional abilities and develop plans for returning to the workforce.
- Labor market specialists. These experts analyze job availability, workforce trends, and employment opportunities within specific geographic regions or industries.
- Occupational analysts. These specialists evaluate job demands and required skills for various occupations as defined by the Department of Labor.
- Career consultants. These professionals explain the relevance of transferable skills, career development, and occupational requirements across industries.
What They Do During Appeal Hearings
During your hearing, the vocational expert answers hypothetical questions about your ability to perform your past relevant work or any other jobs in the national economy. Their testimony creates a framework for determining whether you meet Social Security's definition of disability.
For example, if you previously worked as a construction worker but now have a back injury limiting you to sedentary work, the vocational expert will analyze whether your skills transfer to sedentary occupations. If they testify that no such transferable skills exist, this significantly strengthens your disability claim.
They may explain how specific medical restrictions impact job capabilities and provide estimates of job numbers available in the national economy for occupations a person with your limitations might perform.
Vocational Expert Testimony During SSDI Hearings
The administrative law judge begins by presenting hypothetical questions to the vocational expert. These questions incorporate limitations from your medical records to determine job possibilities. For example, they may ask, "Could a person of the claimant's age, education, and work experience who can stand for only two hours in an eight-hour workday perform the claimant's past work?"
After the judge's questions, your Massachusetts disability lawyer can cross-examine the vocational expert. Your attorney may present additional limitations supported by your medical records that might have been omitted from the judge's hypotheticals or overlooked in your original SSDI application.
Vocational expert testimony can lead to three possible conclusions:
- You can still perform your past work and are denied SSDI benefits.
- You cannot do your past work but can perform other jobs, which may or may not result in denial.
- No jobs exist that someone with your limitations could perform consistently, approving your appeal for Social Security disability.
Steps to Take If Your Initial SSDI Application Was Denied
If you've received a disability denial letter from the SSA, taking prompt, strategic action improves your chances of successfully appealing the decision. Get help from an experienced Boston SSDI lawyer who can connect you with relevant vocational experts to build a stronger case.
File Your Appeal Promptly
The Social Security Administration allows only 60 days from receiving your denial notice to request a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge. Contact a Boston disability lawyer immediately after receiving your denial to ensure your appeal is filed properly and on time.
Strengthen Your Medical Evidence
Request detailed residual functional capacity opinions from your treating physicians that specifically address how your condition limits your ability to perform work-related activities. Ask for medical documentation that clearly states specific limitations on sitting, standing, lifting, or concentration that affect your ability to work.
Document Your Work History Thoroughly
Create a detailed work history covering the past 15 years, including specific job duties, physical requirements, skills used, and reasons for leaving each position. Highlight any accommodations you previously received at work and prepare descriptions of the most physically or mentally demanding aspects of your previous jobs that your current condition prevents you from performing.
