Ryan DexterSocial Security Disability Lawyer

Ryan Dexter, Social Security Disability Attorney

Ryan Dexter represents disabled workers across Oklahoma who have been denied the Social Security benefits they paid for through years of work. His practice at Carr & Carr Injury Attorneys concentrates on winning benefits at every stage, from the first application through appeals in federal court. Most clients reach Ryan after a denial letter, a stalled claim, or a hearing notice they do not know how to answer.

Ryan Dexter's Disability Practice Focus

Ryan handles Social Security Disability claims for people whose medical conditions keep them from holding steady work. His caseload covers both federal disability programs: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) for workers with enough earnings history, and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for low-income applicants who meet the same medical standard.

He builds each claim around the evidence the Social Security Administration actually weighs. That means treating-physician opinions, function reports, and objective test results tied to the agency's rules, not generic doctor's notes that hearing offices routinely discount.

The federal definition of disability is strict. Under 42 U.S.C. § 423(d), an applicant must show a medically determinable impairment that prevents substantial work and is expected to last at least 12 months or result in death. Ryan frames every case to meet that standard from the start.

How Ryan Proves Disability Under SSA's Five-Step Test

Every claim Ryan files runs through the five-step sequential evaluation set out in 20 C.F.R. § 404.1520 for SSDI and § 416.920 for SSI. He shapes the record to answer each step in the client's favor before it reaches a decision-maker.

Step one asks whether the applicant works above the substantial gainful activity limit, which the SSA set at $1,690 per month for non-blind individuals in 2026. Ryan confirms earnings stay below that line and shows how impairment-related work expenses can lower countable income.

Steps two and three test whether a condition is severe and whether it meets or equals an entry in the SSA's Listing of Impairments. Ryan matches medical records to the specific listing criteria whenever a client's condition comes close.

Steps four and five turn on residual functional capacity. Here Ryan documents concrete limits, such as how long a client can sit, stand, or concentrate, that rule out both past jobs and other work in the national economy.

The Four Levels of a Disability Appeal

The SSA's administrative review process under 20 C.F.R. § 404.900 gives claimants four chances to overturn a denial. Ryan represents clients at each one and knows what a favorable outcome requires at every level.

Reconsideration is the first appeal, a fresh review by the state agency. If that fails, the case moves to a hearing before an administrative law judge, where testimony and cross-examination of the vocational expert often decide the result.

The Appeals Council reviews judge decisions for legal error, and a federal district court lawsuit is the final step. Ryan files at each level within the 60-day deadline that applies after most denials.

Where Ryan Represents Disability Claimants

Social Security Disability rules are federal, so the same standards apply to every claim Ryan files. What changes is the local hearing office, the assigned judges, and the providers whose records support a claim.

From the Oklahoma City office, Ryan serves claimants across the metro and central Oklahoma. The Tulsa-Midtown office covers the northeastern part of the state.

Pairing Disability Claims With Injury Cases

Carr & Carr built its name on injury work, and Ryan's disability practice fits that focus. A car wreck, truck collision, or brain injury that ends someone's ability to work often produces a personal injury claim and a disability claim at once.

Ryan coordinates the two so an injury settlement does not push a client over SSI's resource limits or interrupt benefits. He also helps injury victims whose lasting limitations qualify them for SSDI once it is clear they cannot return to their prior job.

Attorney Ryan Dexter's Background and Credentials

Ryan represents disabled clients at every level of the Social Security appeals process, including federal court. Through his work, claimants whose applications were initially denied have gone on to receive past-due benefits. Super Lawyers has recognized his disability practice.

He grew up in Joplin, Missouri, and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Missouri Southern State University. He then moved to Oklahoma City to attend law school at Oklahoma City University, where he was a Merit Scholar and earned a place on the Dean's List and Faculty Honor Roll.

In law school, Ryan joined the Phi Delta Phi legal fraternity and won CALI Awards in Bioethics and the Law of Alternative Dispute Resolution, given to the top student in each class. He is admitted to the Oklahoma and Missouri bar associations and to the U.S. District Courts for the Western and Northern Districts of Oklahoma and the Western District of Missouri.

FAQs: Ryan Dexter, Social Security Disability Attorney

Here are answers to the questions claimants ask most often before hiring a Social Security Disability attorney.

Talk to Ryan About Your Disability Claim Today

A denial letter is not the end of a Social Security case, and appeal deadlines move fast. Schedule a consultation with Ryan to review your application, your denial, or your upcoming hearing.

Denied Social Security Disability benefits in Oklahoma? Call the Oklahoma City office at (405) 691-1600 or the Tulsa-Midtown office at (918) 747-1000 today to schedule a free consultation with Ryan.