Social Security Disability Lawyers Serving Dayton and the Miami Valley
Our family has deep roots in the Dayton area. We have represented Dayton’s disabled community apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) since 1982, and we have had our own practice in downtown Dayton since 1995. From our office at 100 W. First St. in downtown Dayton, we help people throughout Dayton, the Miami Valley, and beyond. To ensure that disabled claimants can access our office easily, our office is the located on the ground floor, corner office of Talbott Tower, with plenty of available street parking. We are also close to the bus hub, and only a half-block from a nearby bus stop.
We regularly help people from Dayton, Beavercreek, Kettering, Centerville, Huber Heights, Springfield, Xenia, Fairborn, Middletown, Troy, Piqua, and surrounding communities. We also help claimants from farther away, including the rest of Ohio and some clients from across the country when appropriate. You do not have to live in downtown Dayton to contact us, and you should not assume your case is “too far away” for us to review.
Miami Valley Social Security Offices and the Dayton Office of Hearings Operations
Most Social Security disability cases involve three different offices: the local office, the state disability determination service, and the office of hearings operations.
A local Social Security field office may handle applications, reconsideration paperwork, updates, and other claim issues. The greater Miami Valley region has six local offices, in Downtown Dayton, Dayton West (often called “Hoover”), Middletown/Franklin, Piqua, Springfield, and Xenia. You can use the Social Security Administration’s local office look up tool to enter your zip code and identify your nearby local office. You can also check the Donoff & Lutz, LLC directory of Ohio’s Social Security Administration offices to check the contact information of your local office.
The state disability determination service (DDS)—in Ohio, Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD)—makes medical determinations for disability claims at the initial and reconsideration stages. Although OOD is not perfect, it is the fifth-fastest disability determination service in the country. We are not sharing contact information for OOD: Claimants should use the phone number for their assigned adjudicator and the fax bar code that is associated with their claim.
The Office of Hearings Operations, sometimes called the hearing office or OHO, handles hearings before administrative law judges after a case reaches the hearing level. Recently the Social Security Administration announced that it rebranded the “Office of Hearings Operations” as just “Hearings,” but we are not aware of anyone calling the office “Hearings.” For many Miami Valley disability hearings, the relevant hearing office is: SSA Office of Hearings Operations – Dayton, Courthouse Plaza SW, Suite 300, 10 N. Ludlow St., Dayton, OH 45402.
We are located at 100 W. First St., Dayton, OH 45402, in downtown Dayton. We are only a couple minutes walk to the Downtown Dayton local office and Dayton’s Office of Hearings Operations
Donoff & Lutz, LLC’s Office: Directions, Parking, Bus Routes
Our office is located at 100 W. First St., Dayton, OH 45402. We are the ground-floor, corner office in Talbott Tower at the southwest corner of First Street and Ludlow St.
Our office is easy for driving—even though we are downtown, there is low traffic between the highways and our office. From the north: Take I-75 South into downtown Dayton, take Exit 53 onto Third Street, turn left on Wilkinson Street after .4 miles, and then turn right onto First Street after .2 miles (other routes from the north are very slightly quicker, but this route is a bit easier). From the south: Take I-75 North into downtown Dayton, take Exit 53 toward Second Street (on the highway, you will get into the far right lane; at the light, stay in the second from the right lane), go straight across Second Street and turn right, and arrive at our office in .3 miles. From the east: Either (1) take US-35 West, merge onto I-75 North, take Exit 53 toward Second Street (on the highway, you will get into the far right lane; at the light, stay in the second from the right lane), go straight across Second Street and turn right, and arrive at our office in .3 miles, or (2) take SR-4 South, merge onto I-75 South, take Exit 53 onto Third Street, turn left on Wilkinson Street after .4 miles, and then turn right onto First Street after .2 miles (other routes are very slightly quicker, but this route is a bit easier). From the west: Either (1) take Third Street into downtown, turn left on Wilkinson Street, and then turn right onto First Street after .2 miles, or (2) take US-35 East, merge onto I-75 North, take Exit 53 toward Second Street (on the highway, you will get into the far right lane; at the light, stay in the second from the right lane), go straight across Second Street and turn right, and arrive at our office in .3 miles. Parking: There is street parking immediately in front of our office. Within a hundred yards, you can also park in the Talbott Tower valet garage, in the Arts Garage, at the 36 W. First St. lot, or at the 127 W. First St. lot.
Our office is easily accessed within the Dayton bus network. If you can walk eight minutes, take RTA to Wright Stop Plaza Transit Center downtown. From the plaza, exit to Main Street, walk north to W. First Street, then turn left/west onto First Street to 100 W. First. If you cannot walk that far, take a bus route to “Ludlow @ Monument,” and then walk south for 265 feet (you will need to cross the street once) and you will arrive at our office. If you need help walking from Ludlow @ Monument, please let our office know in advance.
Our office is very accessible for people who use mobility aids, including wheelchairs. If you have difficulty traveling to our office, however, you are always welcome to communicate with us via phone or email.
Dayton, Ohio Social Security Disability Lawyers
Dayton is our home base. Donoff & Lutz, LLC is located downtown at 100 W. First St., close to the Dayton hearing office and the Downtown Dayton local office. If you are located in Dayton, we always love to meet clients in person and you are welcome to visit our office. Because our office is in Dayton, we are especially familiar with some of the practical problems local claimants face: correspondence with the relevant local offices (for most Daytonians, the Downtown Dayton local office), getting medical records from certain providers, dealing with transportation limitations, and preparing for hearings with local judges.
Beavercreek, Ohio Social Security Disability Lawyers
Donoff & Lutz, LLC represents Social Security disability claimants from Beavercreek and throughout Greene County. Beavercreek residents often look to Dayton for legal services, medical care, and disability hearings, and our downtown Dayton office is a practical choice for people who want focused Social Security disability representation close to home. Although you can easily access our office from Route 35 (we regularly take that route to work when our dog goes to the veterinarian in the mornings), you do not need to make repeated trips to our office to have a strong case. Many parts of a Social Security disability claim can be handled by phone, mail, online systems, and video when appropriate. If travel is difficult because of your health, we will work with you to make the process as manageable as possible.
Centerville / Washington Township, Ohio Social Security Disability Lawyers
Donoff & Lutz, LLC represents disability claimants from Centerville, Washington Township, and the surrounding south Dayton suburbs. Indeed, Marilyn Donoff lives in Centerville-Washington Township, and our three attorneys all spent COVID quarantine in Centerville-Washington Township. We are quite familiar with the medical providers in the area, and with the local offices and hearing office that serve people in Centerville and Washington Township. While our office is a short drive up I-75 North—although our attorneys prefer to take SR-741 or SR-48 to reduce possible traffic and sometimes improve scenery—we can also speak by phone or email to ease pain, accommodate transportation limits, or simply make life a little bit easier.
Fairborn, Ohio Social Security Disability Lawyers
We represent Social Security disability claimants from Fairborn and nearby Greene County communities. For at least 20 years we have continuously had paralegals from Wright State University, and through his pro bono work, Zachary comes into contact with veterans previously stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. We are quite familiar with the medical providers and Social Security offices that serve the areas. It is easy for Fairborn residents to reach our office through SR-4,
Huber Heights, Ohio Social Security Disability Lawyers
Marilyn Donoff used to live in Huber Heights, and we have long helped disability claims from north Dayton. We are easily reached via a short drive or bus ride.
Kettering, Ohio Social Security Disability Lawyers
We love Kettering. Our paralegals live in Kettering, our attorneys have family in Kettering, and we love the restaurants and parks. If they were not outbid, Rebecca and Zachary would have purchased a home in Kettering. We represent people from across Kettering, including nearby neighborhoods like Oakwood, Hills & Dales, Town & Country, Lincoln Park, and the surrounding south Dayton communities. If your medical conditions keep you from working, we are happy help you evaluate your SSDI or SSI claim and the next step in the disability process.
Miamisburg & Miami Township, Ohio Social Security Disability Lawyers
Rebecca Fate and Zachary Lutz currently live in Miami Township, and we're always happy to represent anyone who also enjoys a weekend trip to Miamisburg's famous Hamburger Wagon. We are just a short trip up the highway, and we are very familiar with area medical providers.
Middletown, Ohio Social Security Disability Lawyers
Donoff & Lutz represents Social Security disability claimants from Middletown and nearby communities between Dayton and Cincinnati. Middletown is a particularly important area to include because many residents are close enough to Dayton for a Dayton disability firm to make sense, even though they may also think of Cincinnati when searching for legal help.
We help Middletown clients with SSDI and SSI applications, appeals, disability hearings, and federal court review. Many claimants come to us after receiving a denial and wondering whether Social Security misunderstood their medical conditions, ignored important symptoms, or failed to appreciate how their health problems affect work.
If you live in Middletown, Franklin, Carlisle, Monroe, Trenton, or a nearby community, you should not assume that distance from downtown Dayton prevents us from helping. Much of the disability process can be handled remotely, and when in-person preparation is helpful, our office is accessible from the I-75 corridor.
Piqua, Ohio Social Security Disability Lawyers
Donoff & Lutz represents disability claimants from Piqua and northern Miami County. Piqua is part of the broader Miami Valley community we serve, and many Piqua-area claimants are looking for a disability lawyer with focused experience rather than a general practice firm.
Social Security disability cases can be especially frustrating because the paperwork often does not capture what life is actually like with a serious medical condition. You may know you cannot keep working, but Social Security still needs evidence that fits its rules. We help Piqua clients develop that evidence, prepare for hearings, and explain their limitations in a way that is accurate, detailed, and legally relevant.
If you live in Piqua, Covington, Sidney, Troy, Tipp City, or another nearby community, you are welcome to contact our Dayton office. We can review where your case stands, what deadlines apply, and what may improve your chances on appeal.
Springfield, Ohio Social Security Disability Lawyers
Donoff & Lutz represents Social Security disability claimants from Springfield and Clark County. Although our office is in downtown Dayton, Springfield is a natural part of our regional disability practice, and many Springfield-area claimants look to Dayton for experienced Social Security disability representation.
We help Springfield clients with initial applications, reconsideration appeals, hearings before administrative law judges, Appeals Council review, and federal court appeals when appropriate. At each stage, we focus on the same core question: whether the evidence shows that your medical conditions prevent you from sustaining competitive work under Social Security’s rules.
Springfield claimants may have medical records from Clark County providers, Dayton specialists, Columbus specialists, or a mix of treatment sources. We help gather and review the evidence, identify gaps, prepare you for the questions that may come up at hearing, and explain the process in plain English.
Troy, Ohio Social Security Disability Lawyers
Donoff & Lutz helps Social Security disability claimants from Troy and Miami County. Troy residents are close enough to Dayton for our firm to be a practical option, but far enough away that we understand the importance of handling as much as possible efficiently and without unnecessary travel.
We represent Troy clients in SSDI and SSI claims involving a wide range of medical conditions and work backgrounds. Some clients have spent years in physically demanding jobs. Others have worked in offices, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, transportation, education, or service industries. In every case, the details matter: what your job required, what your doctors have found, what symptoms persist, and why you cannot sustain work.
If your disability claim was denied, we can help you understand the appeal process and prepare for the next stage. A denial is not the end of the case, but it is a deadline-sensitive moment.
Surrounding Areas
In addition to the cities listed above, we also help people from nearby communities: Oakwood, Moraine, West Carrollton, Riverside, the Wright-Patterson area, Bellbrook, Springboro, Vandalia, Englewood, Trotwood, Tipp City, Yellow Springs, Germantown, Carlisle, Franklin, Lebanon, and so on. We have many clients from Cincinnati, Columbus, and Toledo. And we even have clients from across the country—Kentucky, Indiana, West Virginia, Michigan, Texas, Utah, Oregon, Hawaii—and even the occasional client overseas.
We’re here to help! Call (937) 223-4400 or email disability@donofflutz.com to discuss your claim.