By Loula D. Giannet
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18 Apr, 2024
At Social Security Disability Hearings, there is a vocational expert present. The role of the vocational expert is to classify the disabled applicant's past relevant work for the judge. For example, the title of the job and whether the exertional capacity of the job was sedentary, light, medium or heavy. At the hearing, the judge will ask the vocational expert one or more hypothetical questions assuming the social security disability applicant's age, educational level and past relevant work, and the limitations the judge believes the claimant has such as sitting, standing, walking, lifting, reaching, concentration ability and several other exertional and non exertional restrictions. The vocational expert will then respond to the judge's questions, whether in light of those limitations, the claimant is able to perform their past relevant work and depending on their age whether they are able to perform other work. At the hearing, the disability attorney will also have the opportunity to question the vocational expert. The vocational expert's testimony in response to the judge's and attorney's questions will be considered by the court along with the medical evidence and claimant's testimony. Attorney Giannet is proficient in cross examining vocational experts in court based upon applicable law and evidence.