Tampa (Hillsborough County) is home to many qualified Social Security Disability Lawyers. If you are considering applying for disability benefits, a lawyer can assist you throughout the entire process to make sure that you get awarded the disability benefits that you need.
Currently, the Tampa hearing office has 10,895 pending cases and a total wait time of 404 days. While waiting over a year for a decision on your disability claim may not seem ideal, many individuals in the Hillsborough County community find disability benefits to be worth waiting for. In December 2011, there were a total of 34,465 SSDI beneficiaries and 36,407 SSI beneficiaries residing in Hillsborough County.
To learn more about the different Social Security Disability benefit program options, click here.
If you live in the Tampa area and can no longer work for due to a disability or illness, you can apply for disability benefits by filling out an initial application. You can do the electronically on the SSA’s website or you can fill out a hard copy of the application in person at your local Tampa Social Security Disability office. Listed below is an office near you:
4010 Gunn Highway
Suite 100
Tampa, FL 33618
Telephone: 1-800-772-1213
Consulting with a Tampa Social Security Disability Attorney
If you are unfamiliar with the disability program, we suggest that you contact an attorney or advocate to guide you through the application process. An experienced attorney will reduce your risk of making an error on your application and will increase your chances of approval. To learn why you should consider hiring an attorney, click here.
A Tampa Social Security Disability lawyer will also handle disability claims in the following cities located in Hillsborough County, Pinellas County, Pasco County, Manatee County, and Polk County. Town 'N' Country, Egypt Lake-Leto, Brandon, Gibsonton, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Temple Terrace, Mango, Greater Carrollwood, Safety Harbor, Lutz, and Wesley Chapel.
If you have further questions about the legal assistance available to you, contact one of the following bar associations in your area:
Hillsborough County Bar Association
1610 N. Tampa St.
Tampa, Florida 33602
Federal Bar Association (Tampa Chapter)
401 E. Jackson Street Ste. 1700
Tampa, FL 33602-5250
Fred G. Minnis Sr. Bar Association
777 S. Harbor Island Blvd.
Tampa, FL 33602
Tampa Disability Hearings
If you have been denied during the initial and reconsideration stages, and you wish to continue pursuing disability benefits, you must request a hearing to be held at the Tampa Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR).
Listed below are the approval rates of the administrative law judges (ALJs) that hear cases in the Tampa ODAR:
| ALJ | Approval Rate |
| Ballieu, Robert | 38.03% |
| Cartledge, James C. | 29.11% |
| Craig, Margaret | 50.15% |
| Dawkins, John | 39.36% |
| Downs, Amber | 25.42% |
| Ehrman, Kurt G. | 33.14% |
| Greenberg, Rhonda S. | 33.33% |
| Johnston, Paul L. | 74.38% |
| Kirzner, Ryan | 0.00% |
| McGhee, Carl C | 40.94% |
| McIntosh, Melissa J. | 7.18% |
| Morris, Scott T. | 22.18% |
| Neel, Angela L | 3.61% |
| Piloseno, Jr., Daniel A. | 60.58% |
| Rodriguez, Michael A. | 39.57% |
| Selland, R. Dirk | 33.01% |
| Slahta, Steven D. | 57.70% |
| Watkins, Glen H. | 19.60% |
| Weakley, Wallace E. | 33.33% |
| Zanotti, Barbara J. | 38.89% |
*Data from http://www.ssa.gov/appeals/DataSets/03_ALJ_Disposition_Data.html
Lawyers are often familiar with the judges who hear cases in their local offices. Your lawyer can use this insight to present your case more effectively.
If you are experiencing financial or medical difficulty and cannot wait to have your appeal hearing, you should consider contacting your local congressperson to request that he or she intervene with the ODAR on your behalf.
For more on qualifying for disability benefits in Florida, see How To Qualify For Disability In Florida.
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