Runnels and Coleman Counties

Disability Lawyer in Ballinger, TX

Ty Groat is a disability lawyer for Ballinger, TX residents filing for SSDI or SSI, licensed in Texas since 2009, with his office about 36 miles southwest in San Angelo. Call (325) 659-2305.

Call (325) 659-2305

From Application to Hearing

SSDI Help in Runnels County for Every Stage of a Claim

Ballinger sits where the Colorado River meets Elm Creek, at the crossing of US 67 and US 83. Many claims from here start the same way, with a worker who can no longer keep up with the job. SSDI pays based on the work credits you earned through payroll or self-employment taxes. As an SSDI lawyer, Ty Groat works on those credits, the Medicare that follows, and the rules for working while on benefits.

A person with little work history may qualify for Supplemental Security Income instead. SSI looks at income and what you own, and in Texas it usually comes with Medicaid. Some people apply for both at once. Ty Groat checks your work record and money first, so you ask for the benefit you can get.

When a claim has been turned down, the job becomes a disability appeal. That means a second review, then a hearing, and the proof that carries both.

San Angelo Office 1002 S Koenigheim St Ste B
San Angelo, TX 76903

How Ballinger Jobs Shape the Medical Evidence

Light manufacturing, mining and retail trade are the main sources of work in Ballinger. Farming has been part of Runnels County life since the early 1900s. Each job asks something different of the body. A plant worker stands on concrete all shift, a clerk lifts stock, and a farmer bends, climbs and drives for long hours.

Social Security asks if you can still do the jobs you held in recent years. If not, it asks whether any other work fits your limits, age and education. The answer turns on how long you can sit, stand, lift and focus, and a diagnosis alone rarely settles it.

Ty Groat gathers that proof from the people who treat you. He asks your doctors for written opinions about your limits. He also prepares for what a job witness may say at a hearing about the work you have done.

Winters and Coleman

Disability Attorney for Winters, TX and Coleman Claimants

Winters sits in north central Runnels County on US 83. Over the years its plants have built air conditioners, metal goods and aircraft parts. Anyone looking for a disability attorney in Winters, TX can work with the same office that handles Ballinger claims, under the same federal rules.

Coleman is the county seat of Coleman County, where US 84 meets US 283. It grew as a meat packing and wool town and later added factories, so many people there have long years of physical work. A Social Security lawyer for Coleman, TX residents needs that work laid out year by year, since past earnings decide SSDI.

Medical records in these towns are often spread out: a family doctor close to home, scans in a larger city, a hospital stay somewhere else. Ty Groat asks each provider for records so the file Social Security reads is complete.

Talk With Ty Groat at (325) 659-2305

Choosing a Disability Lawyer for Ballinger, TX Claims

Ty Groat earned a bachelor's degree in Government and Mathematics at Angelo State University. He earned his law degree at St. Mary's University School of Law. He has been licensed in Texas since December 2009 and opened the Law Office of Ty Groat in January 2018, a firm that is locally owned and operated in San Angelo.

As a disability lawyer for Ballinger, TX clients, Ty Groat offers quick, open help. That means a clear reading of each letter from Social Security, an honest view of where the claim stands, and a friendly staff that picks up during office hours. No lawyer can promise an approval, and Ty Groat never will.

The firm handles new claims, denied claims and appeals, children's benefits, and Medicare and Medicaid tied to SSDI and SSI. It also helps with Social Security retirement. That matters for Ballinger residents near retirement age while a disability claim is still open.

What to Do When Social Security Says No

Act within 60 days. A denial gives you 60 days from the day you get it to ask for a second review, called reconsideration, and Social Security assumes the letter took five days to arrive. Missing that window usually means starting over. Calling a disability lawyer in Ballinger, TX early leaves time to gather new proof.

Reconsideration is a fresh look by someone who did not make the first decision. If it is denied too, the next step is a hearing before a judge. Your hearing notice names the hearing office in charge of your file and the format, whether by phone, online video or in person.

Before the hearing, Ty Groat updates the medical records and collects statements from your doctors. He also prepares you for the questions a judge is likely to ask about daily life in Ballinger and the work you can no longer do.

Date on the letterplus 5 days for mail 60 daysgenerally, to ask for the next level of review

Ballinger Disability Claim Questions

Can I keep a part-time job in Ballinger while my disability claim is pending?

You can work some, but earnings above Social Security's monthly substantial gainful activity limit usually lead to a denial. Part-time work below that limit is allowed, though Social Security may still treat it as proof you can work. Before you take or keep a job at a Ballinger store or plant, talk with Ty Groat about how your hours and duties could affect the claim.

Does a claim from Coleman County follow different rules than one from Runnels County?

No. SSDI and SSI are federal programs, so the medical standards, work credit rules and appeal deadlines are the same in Coleman County and Runnels County. What can differ is which Social Security field office and which hearing office handle your file. Every notice you receive names the office in charge, so keep each letter and its envelope together.

My doctor is in Ballinger, but my tests were done elsewhere. Does Social Security get all of it?

Not automatically. Social Security requests records from the providers you list on your application, and a clinic or hospital you forget to name may never send anything. List every place that treated you, including emergency visits and imaging centers outside Runnels County. Ty Groat checks the file for gaps and requests missing records before a decision is made.

I farmed for myself near Winters. Did I earn work credits for SSDI?

You earned credits if you reported net farm earnings and paid self-employment tax on them. Years with little reported profit may not count, which can leave gaps in your record. Your Social Security earnings statement shows each year that counted. Ty Groat compares that statement with your farm history to see whether you are insured for SSDI or should look at SSI.