Winning a disability claim isn’t easy. There’s a lot that an attorney must prove to a judge.
“The cards are really stacked against a person,” says leading San Diego Disability Attorney Matty Sandoval. “The Social Security Administration is a labyrinth of bureaucracy and paperwork, appeals and deadlines. It’s close to impossible to win a case if you don’t have an attorney.”
For the past 30-plus years, Sandoval has successfully helped eligible claimants qualify for Social Security and SSI disability benefits. But he’s not solely focused on the win, he’s also motivated to educate others on the process for the greater good.
“Oftentimes, clients don’t understand why they’re denied,” Sandoval said. “What they don’t understand is it’s not just that you’re sick and injured and therefore disabled.”
Staff at the Law Offices of Matty Sandoval truly want what’s best for each of their clients because they genuinely care about them. That’s why Sandoval is dedicated to helping the community better understand and navigate claims and present the best possible case to the judge.
Sandoval said that speaking to the leaders of non-profits and foundations to educate them on the disability process is essential to better serving this vulnerable demographic.
“My community outreach includes educating non-profit lawyers, case managers and social workers on how to do what I do in the hopes that they never have to go to court,” he said.
During these educational meetings, Sandoval teaches the process and law as it pertains to respective industries, ending with a 15 to 20-minute Q&A session.
It comes down to getting the right evidence into a claim before a judge, who in turn is responsible for making a credibility assessment in each case using medical evidence to support their decision.
“Evidence of how a person’s condition limits them is critical,” Sandoval said. “You need evidence on your side.”
Each person claiming disability must have an underlying medical issue or impairment, in other words, what the doctors call a diagnosis. Any injury or illness that results in functional limitations, mentally or physically can be considered an impairment.
However, Sandoval said a diagnosis alone isn’t enough to establish disability, rather it just gets the process started. Following a diagnosis, symptoms are established. Examples include seizures, migraine headaches and mental illnesses, among others.
“What determines whether a person is disabled or not, is having work-related limitations,” he said. “Most importantly, it’s the question of how your pain limits you.”
How long can you sit and stand? Can you bend over? How much weight can you carry and for how long? “These are things that define a person’s disability,” Sandoval said. “I work with anyone who works with people who can’t work, in order to help the disabled population.”
To learn more about the claims process or to schedule Sandoval to speak at an event, visit: mattythedisabilityattorney.com
