Originally Posted by finz

I'm sorry that I didn't notice your post sooner. I hope that you were just blowing off steam and don't have a serious plan to hurt yourself. Many of us have felt very hopeless. There is help out there.

You can get a lawyer at ANY stage, even from the beginning. Many lawyers might not want to start at the beginning of a claim because of the way the normal contingency based reimbursement works. They get 25% of your pay up to a cap of $6000 (last I heard). They don't want 25% of your first check, they hope for the full $6000 fee.

Make sure that your application is accurate and clearly indicates why you are disabled. In consistencies can cause a denial. You mention here that you are bedridden. In another post you say, "mostly bedridden." If your application says bedridden and you walked in or had a WC at the ALJ hearing, and didn't have a video conference or you transported in a stretcher via ambulance, that could cause them to think that the severity of your issues have been overstated. Reviewing all of your application, including the medical record, really needs to be done by a lawyer (or professional in this area). If you have brain fog/concentration issues as I do at times, you could be missing what your record does and doesn't say about you and your disability.

Your past lawyer sounds like a schmuck, quitting now that the tough work lays ahead. I wish you luck in finding someone who will pursue this for you.

I'm sorry to hear about the new developments on the medical front. Sad, but true......that should finally get their attention. Best wishes facing this latest medical challenge.