Michigan Social Security Disability Lawyers

If you are thinking about applying for Social Security disability in Michigan, then you should weigh the benefits of hiring an attorney. An experienced Social Security disability lawyer can significantly improve the odds that your case will be approved.

Social Security data from Michigan reveals that 29% of the Social Security disability claims are denied on average. Of course, most applicants that have been denied on their first attempt appeal the decision. However, the chances of approval are even worse in the first phase of the appeals process, which is formally known as reconsideration.

The vast majority of claimants will have to wait until their hearing before an administrative law judge (ALJ) to have a significant chance of approval.

Michigan has 7 Hearing Offices where you can go to have your case heard by an ALJ. They are listed in the above table.

Most successful Social Security disability claims are approved during the hearing, largely because the ALJs have more leeway in the way they handle claims and can actually see and hear you while you present evidence of your disability.

Overall, 50% of Michigan disability hearings result in an disability benefits being awarded.

On average, Michigan residents wait 503 days for their hearing before an ALJ. Some Hearing Offices are more favorable than others.

View Social Security Offices in Michigan
Disability Statistics for Michigan
Office Judges Avg. Hearing Wait Time Average Processing Time Avg. Dispositions Per Day Per ALJ Cases Dismissed Cases Approved Cases Denied
Detroit 13 11 months 403 days 2.13 23% 54% 23%
Mount Pleasant 8 17 months 586 days 2.41 33% 54% 13%
Livonia 11 16 months 506 days 2.09 21% 41% 39%
Lansing 8 15 months 494 days 2.30 18% 61% 21%
Oak Park 11 14 months 494 days 2.12 18% 33% 48%
Flint 8 13 months 507 days 2.01 17% 60% 23%
Grand Rapids 8 16 months 531 days 2.53 16% 51% 33%
All Michigan 67 15 months 503 days 2.23 21% 50% 29%
ALJ Judges in Michigan
Judge City of Operation Full Favorable Part Favorable Total ALJ Dispositions Total Awards Total Decisions Total Denials Total Dispositions
Janet L Alaga-Gadigian Oak Park 48 9 125 57 106 49 125
Christopher Ambrose Lansing 56 5 107 61 85 24 107
B. L Blair Livonia 53 13 118 66 95 29 118
Lawrence E Blatnik Lansing 40 4 81 44 57 13 81
Brian Burgtorf Mount Pleasant 31 14 174 45 143 98 174
Lauren G Burstein Detroit 9 4 58 13 39 26 58
Robert J Chavez Lansing 36 1 86 37 54 17 86
Laura Chess Mount Pleasant 38 17 100 55 83 28 100
Timothy J Christensen Oak Park 33 8 112 41 90 49 112
Michael S Condon Grand Rapids 31 15 153 46 117 71 153
Mary S Connolly Livonia 84 3 147 87 117 30 147
Beth J Contorer Oak Park 52 11 117 63 98 35 117
Donald G D'Amato Livonia 89 4 172 93 148 55 172
Adam Dale Mount Pleasant 67 3 181 70 155 85 181
Kari Deming Oak Park 73 8 149 81 127 46 149
Allison Dietz Detroit 34 15 162 49 137 88 162
John Dodson Livonia 72 2 142 74 116 42 142
Michael R Dunn Flint 29 9 87 38 70 32 87
Kevin W Fallis Flint 15 16 113 31 89 58 113
Ramona L Fernandez Livonia 70 4 131 74 108 34 131
Rita E Foley Detroit 42 15 100 57 83 26 100
Martha M Gasparovich Livonia 35 5 102 40 78 38 102
Donna J Grit Grand Rapids 37 10 138 47 113 66 138
Dawn M Gruenburg Oak Park 89 16 163 105 135 30 163
Carol Guyton Detroit 28 10 88 38 70 32 88
Jacqueline Y Hall-Keith Oak Park 41 2 82 43 62 19 82
Cynthia S Harmon Grand Rapids 54 20 158 74 138 64 158
Ronald Herman Oak Park 88 5 145 93 128 35 145
Virginia Herring Oak Park 28 12 148 40 131 91 148
Kevin Himebaugh Grand Rapids 65 7 168 72 138 66 168
Paul W Jones Lansing 52 5 193 57 175 118 193
James J Kent Lansing 77 14 191 91 157 66 191
David Kurtz Flint 36 15 125 51 112 61 125
Roy E LaRoche Jr. Detroit 24 8 140 32 124 92 140
Jan Leventer Detroit 118 3 147 121 132 11 147
Mikel Lupisella Mount Pleasant 54 9 127 63 100 37 127
Patrick J MacLean Livonia 42 8 123 50 93 43 123
Colleen M Mamelka Lansing 55 9 171 64 143 79 171
Jr., David A Mason Livonia 19 7 75 26 54 28 75
Christopher J Mattia Flint 45 10 137 55 107 52 137
Dennis M Matulewicz Livonia 106 12 191 118 170 52 191
Patricia S McKay Oak Park 21 5 98 26 69 43 98
Manh H Nguyen Mount Pleasant 39 15 137 54 113 59 137
JoErin O'Leary Mount Pleasant 61 13 152 74 129 55 152
Margaret ODonnell Flint 24 17 104 41 86 45 104
Nicholas M Ohanesian Grand Rapids 68 8 165 76 136 60 165
Melody Paige Oak Park 30 16 98 46 72 26 98
Nicole Quandt Flint 32 13 127 45 110 65 127
John J Rabaut Detroit 18 2 57 20 38 18 57
Dennis Raterink Grand Rapids 56 25 145 81 117 36 145
David Read Lansing 64 14 157 78 133 55 157
William G Reamon Grand Rapids 31 12 143 43 117 74 143
Amy L Rosenberg Lansing 47 4 99 51 74 23 99
Timothy C Scallen Oak Park 62 6 136 68 111 43 136
Andrew G Sloss Flint 19 9 128 28 106 78 128
Anthony R Smereka Livonia 57 11 154 68 123 55 154
Sarah R Smisek Grand Rapids 42 10 124 52 100 48 124
Regina Sobrino Flint 20 37 126 57 105 48 126
Robert J Tjapkes Mount Pleasant 35 27 183 62 154 92 183
Therese Tobin Detroit 34 1 152 35 123 88 152
Joy Turner Detroit 57 3 97 60 86 26 97
Jeanne M VanderHeide Detroit 60 17 160 77 134 57 160
Melissa Warner Livonia 0 0 101 0 1 1 2
Latanya White Richards Detroit 50 15 163 65 141 76 163
Crystal L White-Simmons Detroit 41 16 169 57 147 90 169
Elias Xenos Detroit 36 11 139 47 110 63 139
Sarah Zimmerman Mount Pleasant 20 6 85 26 67 41 85
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