The Social Security Disability claim process can be an overwhelming undertaking. Many people think the claim process takes a mere 3 to 6 months to complete. The truth is, most disability applications are denied during the initial stage of the application process, resulting in a long and drawn-out appeal. In the State of Nevada, approximately 67.4 percent of the applicants who apply for disability benefits are denied during the initial stage of the application process.
If your initial claim for disability benefits is denied, your best chance of obtaining benefits is to attend a disability hearing in front of an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). These hearings are held at local Social Security offices known as ODAR offices. ODAR is an acronym for Office of Disability Adjudication and Review.
In the State of Nevada there are two ODAR offices that schedule disability hearings for disability applicants. These offices are located in Las Vegas and Reno. Because there are only two offices in charge of scheduling the disability hearings for the entire State of Nevada, the waiting periods for a hearing to be scheduled can be quite extensive. The average hearing processing time for the Las Vegas office is 331 days and the processing time for the Reno office is 369 days.
The table below outlines the approval rates and processing times for the ODAR offices in the State of Nevada versus the national averages.
| Hearing Office | Approval Rate | Processing Time in Days |
| Las Vegas | 54.8% | 331 |
| Reno | 43.5% | 369 |
There are currently nine ALJs who are responsible for hearing the cases of Nevada Social Security Disability applicants. Six of these judges work at the Las Vegas ODAR office and three of these Administrative Law Judges work at the Reno ODAR office. While the judges who hear disability cases must follow the same rules and guidelines, each judge does tend to handle his or her cases in a different way. Nevada Social Security Disability lawyers are familiar with the local ODAR offices and the Administrative Law Judges who hear the Nevada disability cases. Because of this, it is crucial to work with one of these attorneys if you want the best chance of being awarded benefits as a result of such a hearing.
If you would like a free consultation with a disability attorney in Nevada, please fill out the free evaluation form on this site. The initial consultation with a disability attorney is always free and your attorney will not collect a fee unless you are awarded disability benefits from the Social Security Administration.
