Pro Bono Spotlight: Christopher Sharry
Amanda’s Story
Amanda (client pseudonym), a UMass Memorial patient, was hit by a car as a pedestrian in early 2022 and sufered extensive injuries, including nerve damage in her lower extremities. Due to her injuries and requiring several surgeries, Amanda was unable to work for over a year. Despite following through with her treatments and exhausting all her treatment options recommended by her medical team, her disabilities left her unable to return to work. Amanda applied for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) twice on her own, but was denied. The Social Security Administration (SSA) determined she was not disabled and ineligible for benefits.
In June 2023, Amanda spoke with a social worker at UMass Memorial about the difficulty she was having in obtaining SSDI and navigating the appeal process. The social worker sent the referral to our MLP staff attorney, Marina Abraham, who reviewed Amanda’s application for SSDI, as well as the denial from the SSA. Attorney Abraham learned that the SSA was missing certain medical records from UMass Memorial, and she immediately stepped in to assist the client in obtaining a copy of her complete medical records. At the same time, Attorney Abraham referred Amanda’s case to our pro bono team to connect Amanda with a highly experienced social security disability attorney to assist her in navigating the SSA’s processes and represent her in an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) hearing.
Attorney Christopher Sharry of Sharry & Monfette, LLP stepped in right away to help Amanda put together the information necessary for an appeal and prepare for an ALJ hearing, which took place in February 2024. After reviewing the evidence and Attorney Sharry’s arguments from the hearing, the SSA granted Amanda a monthly amount of SSDI, as well as a retroactive amount of over $22,000 to account for the nearly two years she was disabled and not receiving benefits.
Amanda and CLA are grateful to Attorney Sharry for his support throughout the appeal process and his relentless advocacy to ensure Amanda obtained the benefits she deserved.
Learn more about our Medical-Legal Partnerships and the kinds of cases you can get involved in here!
