Social Security Disability Advice Group

I have a question that I haven't seen addressed anywhere yet.

For those of you who have had long battles with getting your disability, did you have the same judge each time?

I live out in the sticks. I went to a nearby town when I filed for my SSD. Eventually, I had a hearing in front of a judge. Later, he compelled me to take a psych exam. Then it was he who eventually denied my claim.

My attorneys told me at one point that there were only two judges in the county that dealt with SSD cases. So, when I appeal this judge's decision, will my appeal be before the same judge again? Does anyone know?

hi starr, during my 7 year battle for ssd i had the same judge at the first 2 hearings (as soon as the lawyer found out who the judge was he told me it would be an uphill battle as this particular one always denied). at my last hearing in february of this year i had a wonderful judge who actually apologized for what i had been through and for how long it had taken, he gave me a fully favorable decision. i wish you the best of luck with your case. wendy

Wow Wendy, how awful! You did get the back pay going back to when you filed, right? I wish you luck with this, Starr. I am just going to my first hearing the 12th. I know the Judge's name but am wondering if there is any way of checking his reputation out? Maybe it would be better not to?

hi janquito, i had filed in feb 2003, the judge went back to march 2005 and i figured i would take what i could get as i was so tired of the fight. don't know what effect that will have on the monthly benefit though as a couple of years prior to 2005 i was just working part time so some of my larger earning years were not included. i have not gotten an award letter or any money yet, still waiting. i googled the first judge and found a lot of complaints about him. i also had been writing letters to our president for about a year advising of my dealings with soc sec and the need for reform in how they handle cases. never got a response back. just glad it is finally over. best of luck to you!! wendy

So, if you Google your judge and find complaints about him, isn't there anyone you can go to in order to request a different judge? I mean, if there are complaints, and they are legitimate, isn't that judge hurting your case? Shouldn't that be illegal?

Thanks for the good wishes, Wendy & Jan. I was really hoping for a positive result this year. Now it looks as though I have years ahead of me in this battle.

starr, i don't think that there is much you can do if you get a rotten judge, but i don't really know. when i received my third hearing paperwork there was a different judges signature on there than the one that actually presided over my hearing. as i said, i wrote lots of letters to our president, with no response and 2 weeks before the hearing i also wrote to my congressman, who did respond and mailed a letter to the court on my behalf. whether all that helped, i couldn't say, but am sure that it didn't hurt my case. please don't be discouraged by my story, there are alot of people that don't wait 7 years. good luck to you! wendy

Thanks, Wendy. Ugh...seven years! That's horrible! But, it is government, afterall.

I wrote to the President last year and got a return letter in August about health care reform. Maybe I will write to him about the long waits and denials with SSD, too.