About Us

For more than 35 years, Attorney Russell J. Goldsmith (admitted to practice before the courts of Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, and with offices throughout each state) has been committed to pursuing the rights of accident victims and people suffering from physical or mental disabilities that prevent them from holding a job. He cares for each of his clients on a personal level and provides detailed, honest assessments of their options. The Law Offices of Russell J. Goldsmith offers ethical, diligent, and professional representation that is tailored to the needs and goals of each person who seeks our assistance. We also will advise you candidly if you should pursue alternatives other than legal action, considering the details of your situation. If you are contemplating a Social Security Disability or personal injury claim, Attorney Russell J. Goldsmith and his legal team can provide you with the guidance and assistance you need through tough times.

People who are unable to work because of a severe mental or physical impairment may be eligible for government benefits through the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program operated by the Social Security Administration (SSA). As long as you have contributed sufficiently into the Social Security disability program (and you have acquired sufficient quarters of coverage through your employment), you may qualify for Social Security disability benefits assuming you then meet the medical criteria of the program. In general, applicants need to prove that their condition has prevented them from working gainfully for a year or longer, or that their condition is likely to result in death. Medical documentation as well as testimony from family, friends, and co-workers will play a critical role in such a claim.

You can seek legal representation at any time during the process of applying for SSDI. A knowledgeable attorney can help you obtain the necessary documentation for proof that you meet the medical requirements of the program and can likewise craft persuasive arguments to the Social Security Administration on your behalf. We will examine whether your condition meets or equals in severity any of the Medical Listings of Impairments set forth in Social Security’s regulations. Likewise, we will assist you in obtaining medical documentation from your treatment providers that address the severity of your conditions and how they impact your ability to function in a competitive work environment.

Assuming we are able to prove that your medical condition meets one of Social Security’s Listing of Impairments, we may be able to obtain for you a favorable decision on that basis alone. Likewise, obtaining from your doctors a detailed assessment of your residual functional capacity will assist us in proving that you remain unable to work either the past jobs you performed or any job that exists in the national economy that exists in significant numbers. We will likewise look at Social Security’s grid rules to determine how your age may further impact your ability to transfer to other, less physical, jobs that exist in the national economy.

Unfortunately, many applicants find that their claims are initially denied. While receiving an unfavorable decision can prove frustrating, an experienced lawyer can help guide and assist you with reversing this decision. The first step would be to file a Request for Reconsideration (in Maine and Massachusetts) or to file a Request for Hearing Before Administrative Law Judge (ALJ), if you’ve faced an initial denial in New Hampshire, or have been denied on reconsideration in Maine or Massachusetts. Our legal team can assist with these various appeals processes (and may potentially be able to assist you with appeals before the Appeals Council and Federal District Court should this prove necessary).

When you’ve suffered a serious injury, the first thing you need to worry about is getting better: the last thing you need to worry about is how you deal with the defendant and their insurance company. From the very outset, our team is looking to ensure that issues of responsibility are properly investigated and documented to safeguard your interests. First, our office undertakes a detailed assessment of the circumstances behind the accident, your injuries and the treatment that you’re receiving, the insurance policies and provisions that may apply to cover your damages, your potential lost wage claims and how this accident may be affecting your family and you (among a list of other items). We need to get a detailed assessment of your personal story as there is no way for an attorney to assist you fully with your claims without first getting an understanding of the full picture as to how this injury is affecting you and your family.

Avoidable accidents have become an inescapable part of everyday life. In most situations, they happen because a person or entity failed to use the level of precaution that was appropriate in a certain situation. Victims of a motor vehicle collision, an incident of medical malpractice, or another type of preventable harm should seek the assistance of an experienced and aggressive lawyer so as to be able to take legal action against the party responsible for harming them. Our legal team has been assisting injured New Englanders for more than 35 years.

Victims who seek to show that a defendant was negligent generally must prove that the defendant owed them a certain duty of care and breached that duty by engaging in careless conduct. For example, a breach could consist of failing to yield at an intersection or leaving a sponge in a patient’s body. The negligent act by the defendant must have directly resulted in the victim’s harm, and there must have been reasonably quantifiable damages that arose from it. Injured individuals often pursue both economic and non-economic forms of compensation, ranging from medical expenses and missed wages to pain and suffering or other intangible harm.

While you’re worrying about getting better, we go about the process of advocating your claims with the insurance carrier and with obtaining the necessary evidence and documentation to pursue your various claims for damages. Whether it’s through a settlement demand and negotiations for purposes of a settlement, or if necessary, pursuing court proceedings, Attorney Russell Goldsmith is working to recovery for you the damages you’ve incurred.

Social Security and injury lawyer Russell J. Goldsmith understands the intricacies of these areas of the law and is ready to put his knowledge to work on your behalf. You can contact the Law Offices of Russell J. Goldsmith by calling us toll-free at (800) 773-8622 or completing our online form.

About Our Founder