The Hearing

For those individuals who are about to experience presenting their liver disease disability case at a Social Security Disability hearing, there are a number of concerns and questions that most likely will arise.  These include how a hearing is conducted, how long it lasts, and so on.  Not all cases are the same since not all disability claims are the same.  However, all hearings of this nature operate in similar fashion.  The following are the 3 most common questions we encounter regarding Social Security Disability hearings.

How long is my hearing going to last?

On the average, a Social Security Disability hearing normally lasts between 45 minutes and an hour.  However, if you are fortunate enough to have an ALJ that has already studied your disability case, you could be in and out of your hearing within 15 minutes.

What happens and who asks the questions at my hearing?

Typically, the ALJ (Administrative Law Judge) is the one who conducts the hearing and asks you any questions pertinent to your liver disease disability.  There are other instances where the ALJ may want your Social Security Disability attorney to interview you and ask the questions.  Just don’t be alarmed by the ALJ interrupting your testimony in order to ask you questions as well.

You also want to be aware of the fact that once you have been allowed to present your case and testimony, the ALJ may ask the Medical Examiner (ME) or the Vocational Expert (VE) to ask you questions regarding your liver disease or disorder and any of the physical impairments that you have suffered with which are pertinent to your disability claim.

Once the hearing is completed, will the judge give me their decision regarding my case and disability claim?

Whether or not the ALJ renders a verbal ruling at the end of your hearing, the answer could be either “yes” or “no” because it is purely up to their discretion in the matter.  Typically, the ALJ’s ruling will not be disclosed at this time.  The primary reason for this is that no bailiff or any security personnel will be present in the courtroom, unlike a regular hearing in a standard court proceeding.

It is more likely that you will get a decision should the ruling be in your favor.  However, this is not a hard and fast rule where Social Security Disability hearings are concerned.  In any event, you should not be alarmed or panic should the ALJ not give you their decision once the hearing is finished.  Remember that it is always the ALJ’s prerogative to announce their decision or not.