BAEC Bulletin | September/October 2023 | 29
original ALJ because more time would have elapsed, but the monthly benefit is now providing Jason’s family with a bit more financial security than they have had in several years. After reviewing other cases during that timeframe, it is very likely we would still be waiting for the District Court decision or preparing to go back in front of the same ALJ who already denied the claim. Then we would have to wait for the decision and the potential for further appeals. Ultimately, Jason and his wife felt their decision to file a new claim was the right thing to do. “You have to have a lot of faith and trust in your lawyer. What I went through the first time around taught me a lot. I had so much anxiety on top of dealing with my medical issues and my wife and I realized the best way to avoid that was to trust the experience of our law firm.” The old saying, “time is money,” doesn’t always make sense for SSD cases. The amount of money becomes less important the longer my clients are forced to wait. Even a $100,000 back benefit doesn’t mean as much if you wait five years (or more) to get it and lose your family’s home along the way. There’s a point where the best option is the one that gets money coming in as fast as possible where you can obtain a
regular monthly income, stay in your home, put food on the table, and get the medical care you need. For some of my clients, decreasing the time they have to wait is more important than maximizing the amount money they will ultimately receive. Author: Christopher J. Grover, Esq.
Christopher J. Grover is an attorney at Jeffrey Freedman Attorneys, PLLC. He is also past chair of the Disability Committee of the Bar Association of Erie County.
Erie County Bar Foundation Director Terrence Connors to Receive 2023 American Inns of Court Professionalism Award
Erie County Bar Foundation Director Terrence M. Connors will be awarded the 2023 American Inns of Court Professionalism Award for the Second Circuit, presented by Chief Judge Debra Ann Livingston. The awards criteria states that is should go to a senior attorney who has guided younger lawyers in government, private practice or public service, by word and by example, and whose life and work “reflect civility, competence, and ethical behavior.” On behalf of the Bar Association of Erie County we want to wish Terrence a resounding congratulations for recieving this high honor!
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