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470 reviews
East Chicago Social Security Disability Lawyers
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50+
Years Focused on
SSD Claims -
NOSSCR
National Board
Leadership - 2 Languages English & Spanish
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$0
Fee Unless
You Win
Free Case Evaluation
Why East Chicago Residents Choose Scully Disability Law
A disability claim can turn on details that are easy to overlook: what your job actually required, how often your symptoms interrupt a normal day, whether your treatment records document your limitations, and whether Social Security interpreted that evidence correctly.
At Scully Disability Law, Social Security Disability is not one practice area among many. It has been the focus of our work for decades. Our SSD attorneys in East Chicago know how to develop the medical and vocational evidence behind a claim and how to keep pushing when an unfavorable decision deserves another look.
Over 50 Years Of SSD Experience
Decades spent exclusively on Social Security Disability and SSI claims for Chicago and Chicagoland residents.
National Board Leadership
Our lead attorney serves on the Board of Directors of NOSSCR and formerly chaired the Chicago Bar Association’s Social Security Section.
Thousands of Hearings, One Client at a Time
We’ve represented claimants in thousands of hearings across Illinois, treating every new case with the same diligence as our first.
Accessible, Personal Service
You work directly with a dedicated Social Security Disability attorney throughout your case, not through a rotating call center.
You will meet with the attorneys who will represent you from start to finish. No meeting your lawyer for the first time at your hearing, a common occurrence with the national disability franchises. We are very accessible to our clients.
Thomas J. Scully III
Founding Attorney
How Our East Chicago SSD Lawyers Help Through the Disability Process
What your claim needs depends on where you are in the process. Before a decision, the focus is on giving Social Security accurate information about your health and work history. After a denial, the work becomes more targeted: understanding the decision, filling gaps in the record, and preparing the evidence or legal arguments needed for the next level of review.
Our East Chicago Social Security Disability lawyers adjust the work we do to the stage your claim has reached.
Building Your Initial SSDI Application
A strong application connects three things: your medical conditions, your functional limitations, and the work you are no longer able to sustain.
For someone who has spent years in steel production, manufacturing, transportation, maintenance, healthcare, or service work, a job title alone may say very little about the actual demands of the job. East Chicago remains closely tied to manufacturing and service employment, making an accurate description of past work particularly important in local claims.
Our attorneys can help organize the medical and work information behind your claim, explain what Social Security needs to know, and make sure important limitations are not reduced to a few boxes on an application.
Appealing an SSDI Denial Through Reconsideration
Reconsideration is generally the first appeal after Social Security denies an initial disability claim. Rather than simply resubmitting the same case, this is an opportunity to identify what the first decision may have been missing.
We review the denial alongside the medical evidence and work information already in your file. If treatment has continued, symptoms have worsened, or the record does not fully explain your limitations, we can develop the claim further and submit the reconsideration appeal within the applicable deadline.
Preparing for Your Social Security Disability Hearing
If reconsideration is unsuccessful, you may request a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge.
A hearing puts more attention on your individual circumstances. The judge may ask about your previous jobs, treatment, symptoms, daily activities, and what prevents you from working now. By then, your file may contain years of medical records and several prior Social Security decisions.
We sort through that record, identify the questions your case raises, prepare you to testify about your limitations in your own words, and represent you before the judge.
Requesting Appeals Council Review
After an unfavorable hearing decision, the next question is no longer simply whether you have a serious condition. It is whether there is a basis for the Appeals Council to review what the Administrative Law Judge did.
Our attorneys examine the written decision and administrative record for errors in the way evidence, testimony, vocational issues, or Social Security rules were addressed. When grounds for review exist, we prepare and pursue the Appeals Council request.
Appealing a Social Security Disability Denial in Federal Court
If the administrative appeal process ends with an unfavorable final decision, a civil action in federal district court may be available. Because East Chicago is in Lake County, federal cases from the area fall within the Hammond Division of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, located at 5400 Federal Plaza in Hammond.
Federal court is different from a disability hearing. The judge is not hearing your claim from the beginning or deciding whether to believe new testimony. The court reviews Social Security’s final decision and the administrative record for legal error. When further review is warranted, our attorneys can prepare the federal court appeal and continue representing you through that process.
Have a denial notice in your hands? Check the date. You generally have 60 days after receiving a Social Security decision to request the next level of appeal. Your notice explains the deadline and what you need to do next.
Talk to an East Chicago SSD Lawyer About What Comes Next
You may be trying to put together your first claim, wondering why Social Security denied you, or facing a hearing that suddenly feels very real. Wherever your case stands, we can review what has happened so far and explain what needs attention next during a free consultation. You can meet with our attorneys in person or speak with us by phone or video.
Recent Case Results
Every claim is different, and past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. These examples show the kind of work we do at each stage of the process.
Scully Disability Law Gives You the Ability to Fight Back Instead of Giving Up
More than just a firm motto, this is our mission since the founding of our law firm, and we have the track record to prove it!
We work hand in hand with our clients and have been doing so for a very long time. It is difficult to find any other firm that has been practicing in this area longer than we have.
Thomas J. Scully III
Founding Attorney
What Are the Requirements for Social Security Disability in East Chicago, IN?
A doctor’s opinion that you cannot work can be important evidence, but Social Security uses its own legal standard to decide whether you are disabled. To qualify for SSDI, you generally need enough recent work history covered by Social Security and a medically determinable condition that has lasted, or is expected to last, at least 12 months or result in death.
Your work history matters because Social Security looks at what your past jobs actually required. For East Chicago workers with backgrounds in steel, manufacturing, transportation, maintenance, healthcare, service work, or office jobs, the physical and mental demands can vary considerably.
Social Security generally considers:
- Are you working at a substantial level? SSA looks at your earnings and work activity to determine whether you are performing substantial gainful activity (SGA). In 2026, the general SGA amount is $1,690 per month for a non-blind claimant.
- Does your condition significantly limit your ability to work? Your impairment must interfere with basic physical or mental work activities and meet Social Security’s duration requirement.
- Does your condition meet or medically equal a listed impairment? Some conditions qualify when the medical evidence satisfies criteria in Social Security’s Listing of Impairments.
- Can you still perform your past work? If you do not meet a listing, SSA evaluates your remaining abilities and compares them with the demands of jobs you performed in the past.
- Could you adjust to other work? If you cannot return to your previous work, SSA considers factors such as your age, education, work experience, and functional limitations.
This is why a job title rarely tells the whole story. A production worker who can no longer lift, stand for long periods, or work safely around machinery faces different limitations than someone whose condition affects concentration, memory, pace, or attendance.
An East Chicago SSD attorney at Scully Disability Law can connect those real-world limitations with the medical evidence in your file so Social Security has an accurate picture of why your condition prevents you from sustaining work.
What if I do not have enough work credits for SSDI? Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a needs-based disability program with income and resource limits rather than an SSDI work-credit requirement. Some people qualify for both programs. Learn more on our Supplemental Security Income (SSI) page.
Our fees are strictly controlled by Social Security. We are prohibited by law from overcharging, and we are proud of never having done so.
Thomas J. Scully III
Founding Attorney
What Medical Conditions Can Qualify for SSD Benefits in East Chicago?
Social Security does not approve disability benefits based on a diagnosis alone. The SSA’s Listing of Impairments sets medical criteria for certain physical and mental health conditions, but meeting or medically equaling a listing is only one way to qualify.
Many claims are more complicated than that. Chronic pain may exist alongside depression or anxiety. Diabetes may lead to neuropathy or other complications. Neurological conditions can affect both movement and concentration. Social Security must consider the combined effect of all your medically documented impairments when deciding what work you can still sustain.
Our East Chicago SSD lawyers help clients pursue disability claims involving physical conditions, mental health disorders, neurological conditions, and chronic illnesses such as:
Musculoskeletal & Physical
- Degenerative disc & spine disorders
- Chronic pain conditions
- Arthritis & joint disease
- Fibromyalgia
- Injuries limiting mobility
Mental & Cognitive Health
- Depression & anxiety disorders
- PTSD
- Bipolar disorder
- Intellectual & developmental disabilities
- Cognitive decline & memory disorders
Systemic & Chronic Illness
- Cardiovascular disease
- Diabetes with complications
- Chronic kidney disease (CKD)
- Cancer & treatment side effects
- Autoimmune disorders
- Respiratory conditions
Meet Our Attorneys
Attorney Thomas J. Scully III
Founder of Scully Disability Law, Thomas J. Scully III has dedicated more than 40 years to helping individuals pursue Social Security Disability benefits. A Vietnam Veteran and former Chair of the Chicago Bar Association’s Social Security Law Committee, he brings extensive experience representing claimants at disability hearings and throughout the appeals process. He is committed to providing personal, compassionate representation to every client he serves.
Attorney Michael DeYoung
Michael DeYoung has spent the majority of his legal career representing Social Security Disability claimants throughout the disability process, including hearings, Appeals Council reviews, and federal court appeals. A Northwest Indiana resident, he understands the challenges faced by individuals seeking disability benefits and provides direct, attorney-led representation focused on achieving the best possible outcome for each client.
Client Testimonials
A disability case can last months or longer, so the relationship you have with your SSD lawyer matters. Read what former clients say about the communication, preparation, and personal attention they received while Scully Disability Law handled their claims.
I am an Illinois attorney with over 40+ years of litigation practice so I know great lawyers when I have experiences with them. I referred a case to Tom Scully and have met with him on multiple occasions. He is forthright, clearly a renown expert in disability law, and he and his staff were a pleasure to work with. He and his staff gave me an assessment of the case that was straightforward given the bureaucracy and delays caused by the process.
In the end he was very successful in getting a great result. He is my top go-to lawyer for these types of cases.
Timothy Daw
5.0I cannot thank Attorney Michael DeYoung and the entire staff enough for everything they did to help me through my disability case. From the very beginning, they treated me with kindness, compassion, respect, and patience during one of the most stressful times of my life.
I highly recommend this law firm to anyone needing help with a disability claim. They truly care about their clients and go above and beyond for the people they represent. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart.
Christine Graf
5.0I think that everyone was very nice and went above and beyond for us! They kept in contact with us and was always there to answer all questions! Michael DeYoung was amazing with my husbands case! The staff is amazing! I would recommend this law firm to everyone that needs help with their case! Thank you for all your help Michael you did a great job for us!
Tami Hubbard
5.0I am very grateful for the entire staff at attorney Scully’s office. Their professionalism and empathy speaks volumes to clients they represent. If you or a loved one needs their assistance they help you every step of the way. I truly can’t say enough good things about this law firm
Sarah Kuechenmeister
5.0SSD Lawyers Serving East Chicago and Northern Lake County
Scully Disability Law represents people in East Chicago and neighboring Lake County communities, including Hammond, Whiting, Gary, and Highland. Whether you worked near Indiana Harbor, elsewhere in Northwest Indiana, or across the state line, your disability claim is evaluated under the same federal Social Security rules.
East Chicago clients can meet with us in person or by phone or video. Either way, you have direct access to experienced SSD attorneys who know your claim and can handle it through resolution.
Highland Office
- 9105-A Indianapolis Boulevard, Suite 102, Highland, IN 46322
- (219)419-4497
- contactus@scullydisabilitylaw.com
Frequently Asked Questions
Social Security Disability claims bring up practical questions. Here are answers to some of the questions East Chicago claimants ask us most often.
Do not assume you need to start over. Read the denial notice first. It explains why Social Security denied the claim, what appeal comes next, and when you need to act.
You generally have 60 days to appeal. Bring the notice to us as soon as you can. An East Chicago Social Security Disability lawyer at our firm can review the decision, look for gaps or problems in the record, and determine what your existing claim needs before the appeal deadline passes.
Possibly. Social Security looks at whether your work rises to the level of substantial gainful activity (SGA). In 2026, the general SGA amount is $1,690 per month for a non-blind claimant.
The paycheck is not always the whole story. If a medical condition has forced you to cut your hours, miss shifts, move to lighter duties, or rely on coworkers for help you did not previously need, tell us. Those details can help explain how your ability to work has changed.
The SSA says an initial disability decision generally takes about 6 to 8 months, although the actual timeline depends on factors such as how quickly medical evidence is obtained and whether additional examinations are needed. Appeals and hearings can extend the process considerably. Working with an East Chicago disability lawyer can help minimize avoidable delays. We track deadlines, follow up on the status of your claim, obtain medical records, and respond promptly when Social Security requests additional information.
The hearing is often the stage our clients worry about most, but you will not go into it unprepared. Before the hearing, your SSD attorney reviews the record with you, prepares you for the questions you may be asked, and represents you before the judge.
A disability hearing gives an Administrative Law Judge the opportunity to ask you directly about your medical conditions, treatment, past work, symptoms, and limitations. A vocational or medical expert may also testify. If you live in East Chicago, the hearing does not necessarily take place in the city itself. SSA currently conducts hearings in person, by telephone, by agency video, or by online video. Your hearing notice tells you how yours will be held.
Your first consultation with Scully Disability Law is free, and you do not pay an attorney fee unless we win your claim.
Under Social Security’s standard fee-agreement process, the attorney fee is generally limited to the lesser of 25% of your past-due benefits or $9,200, and SSA must approve it. Separate expenses, such as charges from medical providers for records, may still apply. We explain the fee agreement, possible case costs, and how payment works during your consultation so you know exactly what to expect before you decide to move forward.
Yes. Social Security compares what you are still physically and mentally able to do with the demands of your past relevant work, which generally focuses on qualifying work performed during the previous five years.
That can be especially important in East Chicago, where many workers have backgrounds in steel, production, transportation, maintenance, healthcare, and other jobs with very different physical and mental demands. We look beyond the job title to details such as lifting, standing, walking, operating equipment, maintaining pace, concentrating, or working safely throughout a shift.
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