New Jersey Social Security Disability Lawyers
If you are thinking about applying for Social Security disability in New Jersey, 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 New Jersey reveals that 38% 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.
New Jersey has 3 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, 42% of New Jersey disability hearings result in an disability benefits being awarded.
On average, New Jersey residents wait 623 days for their hearing before an ALJ. Some Hearing Offices are more favorable than others.
Office | Judges | Avg. Hearing Wait Time | Average Processing Time | Avg. Dispositions Per Day Per ALJ | Cases Dismissed | Cases Approved | Cases Denied |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pennsauken | 12 | 21 months | 668 days | 1.60 | 24% | 40% | 35% |
Jersey City | 10 | 16 months | 573 days | 1.17 | 20% | 30% | 50% |
Newark | 15 | 19 months | 628 days | 2.02 | 14% | 56% | 30% |
All New Jersey | 0 | 19 months | 208 days | 1.60 | 19% | 42% | 38% |
Judge | City of Operation | Full Favorable | Part Favorable | Total ALJ Dispositions | Total Awards | Total Decisions | Total Denials | Total Dispositions |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Andrea Addison | Jersey City | 73 | 14 | 159 | 87 | 133 | 46 | 159 |
Sharon Allard | Newark | 37 | 20 | 115 | 57 | 101 | 44 | 115 |
Douglass Alvarado | Newark | 57 | 13 | 132 | 70 | 114 | 44 | 132 |
Kenneth Ayers | Newark | 35 | 15 | 169 | 50 | 142 | 92 | 169 |
Sheena Barr | Jersey City | 71 | 5 | 116 | 76 | 93 | 17 | 116 |
John Campbell | Pennsauken | 28 | 14 | 127 | 42 | 100 | 58 | 127 |
Nicholas Cerulli | Pennsauken | 26 | 3 | 66 | 29 | 49 | 20 | 66 |
Leonard F Costa | Newark | 47 | 7 | 140 | 54 | 122 | 68 | 140 |
Ricardy Damille | Newark | 26 | 21 | 133 | 47 | 102 | 55 | 133 |
Myriam C Fernandez Rice | Newark | 23 | 11 | 121 | 34 | 58 | 24 | 81 |
Lisa Hibner | Pennsauken | 33 | 11 | 111 | 44 | 90 | 46 | 111 |
Mark Hockensmith | Newark | 2 | 0 | 105 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
Mark Hockensmith | Pennsauken | 0 | 0 | 105 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Elana Hollo | Jersey City | 73 | 1 | 158 | 74 | 128 | 54 | 158 |
Kevin Kenneally | Jersey City | 78 | 17 | 173 | 95 | 139 | 44 | 173 |
Donna A Krappa | Newark | 60 | 8 | 113 | 68 | 96 | 28 | 113 |
Peter R Lee | Newark | 9 | 11 | 124 | 20 | 92 | 72 | 124 |
Nancy Lisewski | Pennsauken | 37 | 9 | 120 | 46 | 101 | 55 | 120 |
Meryl L Lissek | Newark | 80 | 8 | 158 | 88 | 125 | 37 | 158 |
Dina R Loewy | Jersey City | 18 | 10 | 81 | 28 | 60 | 32 | 81 |
Scott Massengill | Pennsauken | 35 | 15 | 143 | 50 | 114 | 64 | 143 |
Theresa Merrill | Newark | 79 | 7 | 135 | 86 | 104 | 18 | 135 |
Hilton R Miller | Jersey City | 56 | 20 | 161 | 76 | 132 | 56 | 161 |
Kim Soo Nagle | Pennsauken | 13 | 4 | 80 | 17 | 41 | 24 | 53 |
Dennis O'Leary | Newark | 105 | 12 | 192 | 117 | 171 | 54 | 192 |
Gina Pesaresi | Jersey City | 73 | 11 | 162 | 84 | 135 | 51 | 162 |
Jennifer Pustizzi | Pennsauken | 25 | 27 | 128 | 52 | 109 | 57 | 128 |
Jack Russak | Jersey City | 52 | 10 | 120 | 62 | 89 | 27 | 120 |
Daniel N Shellhamer | Pennsauken | 57 | 14 | 117 | 71 | 102 | 31 | 117 |
Karen Shelton | Pennsauken | 27 | 19 | 112 | 46 | 84 | 38 | 112 |
Beth Shillin | Newark | 36 | 11 | 98 | 47 | 81 | 34 | 98 |
David Suna | Jersey City | 41 | 6 | 94 | 47 | 79 | 32 | 94 |
Frederick Timm | Pennsauken | 71 | 20 | 147 | 91 | 120 | 29 | 147 |
Scott Tirrell | Newark | 21 | 11 | 95 | 32 | 65 | 33 | 95 |
Marguerite Toland | Jersey City | 24 | 7 | 83 | 31 | 57 | 26 | 83 |
Richard West | Newark | 47 | 10 | 102 | 57 | 87 | 30 | 102 |
April M Wexler | Pennsauken | 2 | 0 | 121 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 5 |