My hearing was held by phone because I fell down my stairs and broke my ankle a few weeks ago and could not get myself to the hearing location as a result.
My attorney never prepped me for the hearing, although he did call the day before the hearing. I had asked him if he had developed any kind of case at all. He hadn't really. He said my case was that I meet the listing and my MS was secondary progressive. I expressed my concern at having to speak and answer questions because my disability includes impaired verbal communication due to memory issues, moderately to severely impaired working memory. He didn't really address my concerns either.
I got the call from the ALJ to join the hearing the next morning at 8am. My attorney presented no real case at all. He just stated that I meet the listing for MS. He didn't explain how or why I meet it, which is severe fatigue not controlled by medications and moderate to severe impairment in processing speed and verbal learning and memory. He did make reference to an exhibit document in my file but I wasn't familiar with the exhibit number.
I struggled to answer questions and even forgot to answer several questions the ALJ asked me, because the topic changed to rapidly for me to keep up. The ALJ seemed to focus on my physical impairments, such as my broken ankle, the fingers of my dominant hand that never regained feeling after my cervical disc replacement and the knee I injured further in the same fall that broke my ankle. My residual Functional Capacity document which listed my limitations was never mentioned.
A few minutes before the call ended, the Vocational "expert" came on the line and said she wanted to classify a job. What does that mean?
She mentioned "Systems Analyst", "Sedentary" and I believe the corresponding Code was given. That was all she ever said. My attorney said he had no objections and the ALJ instructed me that the hearing had concluded and I should hang up the phone.
The entire hearing was completely confusing. I was not a Systems Analyst in my former work. I could not figure out why that job classification was mentioned. I called the attorney immediately after the hearing concluded and he has not returned my call. I have a horrible feeling about how that hearing went.
Don't attorneys typically present some kind of cohesive case for the ALJ?
My attorney never prepped me for the hearing, although he did call the day before the hearing. I had asked him if he had developed any kind of case at all. He hadn't really. He said my case was that I meet the listing and my MS was secondary progressive. I expressed my concern at having to speak and answer questions because my disability includes impaired verbal communication due to memory issues, moderately to severely impaired working memory. He didn't really address my concerns either.
I got the call from the ALJ to join the hearing the next morning at 8am. My attorney presented no real case at all. He just stated that I meet the listing for MS. He didn't explain how or why I meet it, which is severe fatigue not controlled by medications and moderate to severe impairment in processing speed and verbal learning and memory. He did make reference to an exhibit document in my file but I wasn't familiar with the exhibit number.
I struggled to answer questions and even forgot to answer several questions the ALJ asked me, because the topic changed to rapidly for me to keep up. The ALJ seemed to focus on my physical impairments, such as my broken ankle, the fingers of my dominant hand that never regained feeling after my cervical disc replacement and the knee I injured further in the same fall that broke my ankle. My residual Functional Capacity document which listed my limitations was never mentioned.
A few minutes before the call ended, the Vocational "expert" came on the line and said she wanted to classify a job. What does that mean?
She mentioned "Systems Analyst", "Sedentary" and I believe the corresponding Code was given. That was all she ever said. My attorney said he had no objections and the ALJ instructed me that the hearing had concluded and I should hang up the phone.
The entire hearing was completely confusing. I was not a Systems Analyst in my former work. I could not figure out why that job classification was mentioned. I called the attorney immediately after the hearing concluded and he has not returned my call. I have a horrible feeling about how that hearing went.
Don't attorneys typically present some kind of cohesive case for the ALJ?
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