Katelyn Louise Hauser

Personal Life:

Having attended middle school and high school in Pensacola, I am well familiar with the surrounding area and all it has to offer. In my spare time, I enjoy a wide range of fitness activities from Kaboom social kickball and volleyball leagues to fun running events, such as the World of Beer running club, Pensacola Mud Run, and various 5K runs all over town. In the fall and winter, I cheer on my Florida Gators in both football and basketball, while conscientiously adjusting my fantasy football roster. Aside from Gator sports, I enjoy supporting my local Blue Wahoos at their home baseball games.

Education: 

My interest in law began during my course of study at University of Florida. I attended the University of Florida for my undergraduate degree, where I graduated with a double major in political science and criminology, and a minor in business. During the summer between my sophomore and junior years, I was offered an internship with the Alachua County Clerk of Courts, with half of my summer spent at the Family and Civil Courthouse and the other half of the summer spent at the Criminal Courthouse. My experience during this internship solidified my desire to practice law as my career.

Without switching allegiances, I attended law school at Florida State School of Law, where I served as a staff member for the Journal for Environmental Science and Land Use (article and notes editor). During my time at Florida State, I used my limited spare time to garner some part-time experience at different law firms in an effort to get exposure to various areas of law. I worked for a criminal defense firm, a complex business litigation and antitrust law firm, the Florida Bar (Department of Legal Education), and an environmental, land-use, and complex business litigation law firm. I was also a member of LitiGators, a club specifically designated for UF alumni who attended Florida State for law school.

Legal Experience:

I joined the Ortiz Law Firm in 2016. As an associate attorney, I handle the following areas of practice:

• Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits.
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability claims.
• Personal injury claims, including slip and fall accidents, car accidents, motorcycle accidents, truck accidents, and wrongful death cases.
• Long-term disability (LTD) claims.
• ERISA actions.

With my Social Security practice, I advocate for my clients in order to educate and guide them through the difficult disability process. I work to build the best, well-evidenced cases to give my clients the greatest chance of winning their claims. This includes thoroughly examining clients’ medical records, drafting forms specific to her clients’ conditions, handling initial clients’ interviews, and appearing at hearings before administrative law judges. My prior experience appearing before the different administrative law judges gives provides insight into the judges’ expectations, their typical demeanor during a hearing, and what questions a client can expect to encounter during a hearing.

With my long-term disability practice, I avidly fight to overturn a denial or a termination of long-term benefits. My experience with ERISA claims allows me to steer her clients through the heavily regulated ERISA requirements and procedures. During the administrative appeal process, I completely break down the claim file, assessing the inherent strengths and weakness in the file. I help clients prepare for any and all arguments and corresponding pieces of evidence the insurance company might use against them. I then analyze the client’s medical records, any medical source statements, attending physicians’ statements, MRIs, echocardiograms, and any other form of medical treatment or diagnostic testing to thoroughly evaluate my client’s various disabilities. I then take this thorough analysis to draft an administrative appeal, including extensive legal arguments and medical arguments to portray the severity of my clients’ impairments on their ability to work.

Having focused on disability and injury for my entire career as an attorney,I am well-versed in the ins and outs of navigating through the different disability and litigation processes.