Veterans Disability Lawyers

A veteran disability lawyer can assist you throughout the claims process. From gathering evidence of medical and other service to filing an appeal of a claim that has been denied.

Choose a veteran disability lawyer that is experienced in these types of cases and is familiar with the VA system. This will ensure that your case gets the attention it deserves.

Proving Service Connection

The VA will only award disability benefits when it can be proved that your condition is linked to your military experience. This is known as a nexus. There are different types of evidence you could demonstrate this connection, including medical records or independent medical exams (IME), and letters from current health professionals or therapists (especially for mental health conditions). Sometimes, veterans have medically determined disabilities, but are not able to be connected because of incomplete or missing military treatment records. These cases require the assistance of experienced New York disability attorneys who are skilled at presenting an entire claim and submit evidence that is backed by independent experts.

It is much easier to prove an immediate connection with your service to injuries or illnesses that occurred while in the military. For example, if you suffered head injuries during your time in service and you are suffering headaches and concussions, there is a clear connection between the events that led to your current health condition.

However, it is more difficult to get connected if you suffer from an existing medical condition that grew worse while you were in the military. In order to prove that your time in service has aggravated or worsened an existing medical condition it is necessary to provide expert medical evidence that rises to the level of "clear and irrefutable" proof.

Appealing to a Denial

The VA will review your application after you have submitted your application and provided medical evidence. It usually makes a decision which either approves or denies benefits. If the decision is not favorable the veteran has one year to make a notice of disagreement. A veterans disability lawyer can assist the applicant navigate the three decision review options that include the supplemental claim, the higher-level review or a direct appeal to the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

Make sure the lawyer is knowledgeable of your military experiences and the military's culture when selecting the New York veterans' disability lawyer. This will make it easier for you and lessen the need to explain your situations and experiences in a layman's way.

You also want a firm who will remain on your case throughout the entire appeals process of several years. Be wary of firms that assist you with the initial stages of your claim, and then disappear.

An experienced New York veterans disability attorney can assist you in all stages of your claim, including the appeals process. They can assist you in submitting more medical evidence, ask for an official hearing, and also represent you in any Board meetings to ensure that your case is handled in a fair and fair manner. They can also assist you in obtaining you benefits such as financial compensations, aid and attendance benefits, educational benefits, or unemployment.

How can you get a better rating

It is possible that your disability becomes worse or your symptoms get more severe. In that situation it's logical to ask for a higher rating. A veteran disability lawyer can assist you in this process and help gather evidence to support your claim.

It's not common for the VA to make mistakes that result in a lower disability rating than you're entitled to. It's worth getting an expert to look over your records for mistakes. They may have overlooked an injury or left out the issue that could be in conjunction with another condition to get an even higher rating.

You can still file a higher-level claim or review if you've been assessed for more than a calendar year. These require a complete review of your file, and Vimeo could result in an amendment to your effective date or an entirely new rating that's more accurate to what you truly feel.

If you believe you're entitled to a rating of 100 percent, or higher, consider making a claim for supplemental benefits. A disability lawyer can help you develop an argument that supports this type of rating, which is reserved for very severe disabilities. A mental health problem, for example, may make you eligible for a 100% rating of disability because it can hinder employment or vimeo trigger frequent hospitalizations that don't normally trigger this level of a cardiovascular problem or other medical issues.

Assistance with the Appeals Process

Despite what some think the denial of an application for disability benefits by the VA is not the end of an individual's ability to receive benefits. Former military personnel have a year to appeal a decision that is not favorable.

A skilled veteran disability lawyer can help a veteran decide which of the three appeals options is most suitable for their case. They can also help veterans gather the evidence needed to convince a higher-level reviewer that their previous decision was not right. They can provide a veteran a more formal hearing in before an Veterans Law judge.

The best thing about having an New York veteran disability attorney handle your appeal is that they are able to provide the personalized attention your claim needs. They also have a lot of experience handling VA disability claims, and they understand the rules and procedure completely. In addition, some attorneys are veterans disability law firm themselves, which means that they understand the challenges that disabled veterans have to face. This creates a unique kind of empathy, which can help improve the outcome of a case involving a disabled veteran.

Sullivan and Kehoe's team highly trained lawyers will review your VA disability claims free of charge to determine whether we can assist you. Contact us today to set up your free evaluation.