Practice Areas
Blog 
- Workplace Injury and Litigation Group Passes Resolution denouncing the AMA 6th Medical Guidelines
- AMA Defeated in NY, at least for now!
- NYC Hosts "Construction Safety Week"
- Doctors to Employers: Stop Downplaying Workers' Injuries!
- TOTAL INDUSTRIAL DISABILITY AND THE NEW YORK WORKERS COMPENSATION BOARD
- Injured Workers Will Suffer Again!
- How Many Workers' Comp Insurers Were Lying to Regulators?
- 149 Busted for Workers' Comp Fraud in 2007
- Thanks to Workers Compensation Alliance for showing us the real face behind the Spitzer Administration
- 450,000 New Yorkers Might Miss Tax Rebate Check
News
- Worker Hospitalized as Race Course Barn Collapses
- Construction Worker Dies in 30 Foot Fall From Scaffold
- NYC Steel Worker Critically Injured in Fall
- NYC Buildings Commissioner Resigns After Criticism
- NYC's Mayor Bloomberg Examining Buildings Department After Deaths
- Manhattan Construction Worker Falls to His Death
- Impairment v. Disability, an Interview on the AMA!
- New York Dept. of Transportation Worker Crushed by Platform
- New York Bakery Told to Shut Down Over Workers' Comp Violations
- Multiple Self-Insured Workers' Compensation Trusts Shut Down by Workers Compensation Board!
Library
New York State Workers’ Compensation
- How much can you be reimbursed for mileage in workers' compensation case?
- 2007 Workers' Compensation - Effective Dates of Statutory Changes
- Benefits Available to Injured NY Workers
- Why Can't I Just Sue My Employer?
- CASE LAW: FACTORS FOR A FINDING OF TOTAL INDUSTRIAL DISABILITY IN WORKERS COMPENSATION
Social Security Disability
- How Social Security Makes Eligibility Determinations
- Ticket to Work: A Social Security Work Incentive Program
- My Social Security Claim Was Denied. Now What?
Supplemental Security Income
Federal Workers’ Compensation
- Federal Employees' CompensationAct
- Who is Covered Under FECA?
- Longshore & Harbor Workers' Compensation Act
- Appeals Process: Federal Workers' Compensation
Forms
Social Security Disability
Disability Benefits—Federal Social Security Program
It’s not easy to get Social Security benefits. Each year, about 65 percent of the 2.5 million people who file with the federal government for Social Security disability are initially denied benefits. The appeals process is so backlogged that it often takes at least 17 months for an appeals hearing to be scheduled.
Statistics show that your chances of winning your claim are improved by having an experienced lawyer. Markhoff & Mittman attorneys are experts in disability law. We have been helping New York’s injured and disabled since 1933. If you are about to apply for federal Social Security benefits or if you are considering the next step after being denied benefits, consider these facts:
Most claims do not contain enough documentation to win benefits. We can help you gather the right medical evidence to prove your case.
- Mistakes in filling out paperwork result in delays or outright denials. We will help complete the necessary forms completely and professionally.
- Social Security laws and regulations are confusing and complicated. We will handle your case so that you receive maximum benefits.
- Disability benefits are available from other federal or state programs in certain circumstances. We will conduct a complete review of your case to ensure you have filed for all the benefits to which you are entitled.Not only are you eligible, your children or dependents may be eligible for a separate payment based upon your social security disability (auxilury benefits), and we can help obtain these benefits for you as well.
We Deal With the Government So You Can Take Care of Yourself and Your Family
We believe that when you are disabled because of accident, injury, or disease, you should focus on taking care of yourself—and not have the additional stress of dealing with a frustrating government bureaucracy. You’ll find that our lawyers know how to listen. We understand the financial and health worries that our clients face while applying for Social Security disability benefits.
More than 70 years of experience in helping clients who are disabled has taught us the value of combining professional expertise with a personal approach so that each client receives the best that Markhoff and Mittman has to offer. You’ll have peace of mind that you are getting the best legal help possible in fighting for your benefits.
Are You Eligible for Social Security Benefits?
The federal Social Security program encompasses a number of programs that protect against poverty, old age, disability, unemployment, and others. The laws governing disability benefits are too complex to explain fully here, but we’d like to provide this overview:
·First, you must have worked for a specified time period (generally twenty out of forty (20/40) quarters or five of the past ten years in any combination).Do you have enough quarters to even apply?
Second, you must have a physical or emotional disability that is severe enough to keep you from working.
Third, you must have a doctor’s report and other medical evidence proving what your inability to work is, any limitations you may have, and even your ability if any to work.
Even when you are entitled to benefits, the process is lengthy and can be discouraging. The Social Security Administration processes more than 2 million disability claims each year, and managing the sheer numbers of applicants makes it an impersonal and sometimes dehumanizing experience. The government’s resources are limited, meaning that that you’ll receive little government guidance in how to file, what evidence you need to present, and how to best present it. It’s almost routine for the Social Security Administration to reject most applications—especially if a lawyer wasn’t used. To receive benefits, the majority of people have to go on to the next step, which is to file for a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge, a step that can take an additional 17 months or longer. So, you can understand why some people give up even when they are legally entitled to Social Security disability benefits.
At Markhoff and Mittman, our mission is to make a difference in our clients’ lives. Our experience shows that how a disability is presented can be the difference between receiving benefits and not receiving benefits. As your lawyer, it will be up to us to fully and completely present your case so that the Social Security reviewers, doctors, and judges decide that you meet the requirements of the program and approve your claim to benefits.
Experience counts. Markhoff and Mittman handles countless numbers of clients with Social Security claims. You can feel confident that we’ll apply our knowledge and experience to your case.
We Make a Difference in Our Clients’ Lives
When you’re disabled, you need all the help you can get, and you need it as soon as possible. Contact Markhoff and Mittman for help today.
We recommend that you apply for benefits as soon as your doctor determines you are unable to return to work. While you are waiting for the bureaucracy to process your case, you will also be meeting the benefits waiting period required by law.
It’s important to consult with an attorney because there are other programs that may pay you benefits if you do not qualify for Social Security disability. For instance, if you disability occurred in the course of your job, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation. Or, you may qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, which is a different part of the federal Social Security program.
We have offices that are convenient to Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, Westchester County, and Long Island. Please call us for a free evaluation of your case. Our fee is usually 25% of the past-due benefits (not to exceed $5300.00) but we only get paid if we are successful. (Depending on your case the fee arrangment may be different, but this is always discussed and agreed upon before we begin work)
Receive a Free Evaluation.
Call 866-205-2415 toll-free or 914-946-1452 or click here to email us.
We have lawyers and office staff who speak Spanish and French.
Library for Social Security Disability:
- My Social Security Claim Was Denied. Now What?
Description: If your initial claim for Social Security or Supplemental Security was denied by the SSA, there are a number of appeals levels to pursue. - How Social Security Makes Eligibility Determinations
Description: The federal government mandates that a strict definition of "disability" be used in eligibility determinations for Social Security Disability Benefits. In New York, those determinations are made by the New York Region of the Social Security Administration. - Ticket to Work: A Social Security Work Incentive Program
Description: The Social Security Administration offers several incentives to get disability recipients back to work. The Ticket to Work program puts recipients in touch with job skills, training, and referrals while still paying benefits.
Ask an Attorney
Markhoff & Mittman, P.C.
14 Mamaroneck Avenue
Suite 400
White Plains, NY 10601
Toll Free: (866) 205-2415
Phone: (914) 946-1452
Fax: (914) 946-0810
Markhoff & Mittman, P.C.
Main Office
14 Mamaroneck Avenue
Suite 400
White Plains, NY 10601
Toll Free: (866) 205-2415
Phone: (914) 946-1452
Fax: (914) 946-0810
Long Island Office
1778 Hempstead Turnpike
East Meadow, NY 11554
Toll Free: (866) 205-2415
Phone: (914) 946-1452
Fax (516) 222-2292
New York City
by Appointment Only