Appealing Your Houston Case in Federal Court
When the Social Security Administration (SSA) Appeals Council reviews a Social Security Disability (SSD) case, the council may grant your request, it may determine that the administrative law judge (ALJ) hearing decision was correct or it may dismiss the request. If you have received a denial from the Appeals Council, the next step is to appeal your case in federal court.
The Law Offices of Coats & Todd represents SSD claimants in Houston and throughout Texas who wish to appeal their cases in federal court. With more than 40 years of experience, our lawyers are well prepared to fight for you. For a free initial consultation, please call us today at 800-856-1031 or contact us online.
The Next Steps
Taking your SSA case to federal court is the end of the administrative process and the beginning of the civil action process. If you decide to take your case to federal court, you need a lawyer with experience in the specialized process of federal court appeals.
If the Appeals Council denies your claim or if it decides not to review your case, an attorney can file a civil action in the United States District Court for the judicial district in which you live. You have 60 days from the Appeals Council denial to file a lawsuit in a federal District Court.
As the claimant, you do not appear in court. We will submit a written brief and a federal appeals judge will review the record of your entire case. The judge can deny your appeal, remand the case to the Appeals Council or an administrative law judge (ALJ) to review for legal errors, or grant your request for benefits.
If the judge denies your appeal, you may file your case with the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals (5th Circuit). Similar to the U.S. District Court process, you do not appear in court for this step. We will submit a written brief on your behalf. The Court of Appeals can order another hearing or it can deny your appeal.
At this stage, the only recourse you have is the U.S. Supreme Court. It is extremely rare for the Supreme Court to hear an SSA case, however.
You Have the Right to File a Civil Action
If you live in the Houston area, please call us at 800-856-1031. Your initial consultation is free.
