Veterans Disability Lawyers

A veteran disability lawyer will guide you through the entire process of claiming. From gathering evidence of medical and other service to submitting an appeal of a claim that has been denied.

Choose a lawyer for veterans who is specialized in handling these cases and is aware of the VA system from head to toe. This will ensure your case gets the attention it deserves.

Proving Service Connection

The VA will only provide disability benefits if it's confirmed that your illness is related to your military service. This is referred to as a nexus. You can make use of various types of evidence to prove the connection. This includes medical documents, independent health examinations (IME) or a nexus letter from current healthcare providers (especially in the case of mental health problems). Sometimes veterans have medically determinable disabilities but cannot get service connected because of missing or insufficient military treatment records. These cases require the help of skilled New York disability lawyers who know how to present a complete claim and submit evidence that is confirmed by independent experts.

It is much easier to prove the direct connection between your service and injuries or illnesses that you sustained while in the military. If you suffered injuries in the military and you now suffer from headaches and concussions it is much easier to prove a direct service connection.

However, it is more difficult to get connected if you suffer from a pre-existing medical condition that became worse during your time in the military. To prove that your service time caused or aggravated a pre-existing medical condition, you'll need to present medical evidence that is "clear and undisputed".

Appealing a Denial

The VA will review your case after you have submitted your application and provided medical evidence. The VA usually issues an approval or denial of benefits. If the decision is not favorable the veteran has one year to make a notice of disagreement. A veterans disability attorney can assist the claimant through the three decision review options: an additional claim or a higher-level review, or an direct appeal before the Board of harrison veterans disability law firm' Appeals.

When deciding on the right New York veterans disability lawyer Make sure you consider whether they can understand your military experience and the army's culture. This can make things easier for you and decrease the need to explain your situations and experiences in layman's terms.

You should also choose a firm who will remain on your case for the duration of the appeals process over a period of years. Beware of firms that only assist you with the initial phases of your case and then go away.

An experienced New York veterans' disability attorney can assist you through all phases of the claim including appeals. They can help you submit additional medical evidence, request an official hearing and represent you in any Board sessions to ensure that your case is handled fairly. They can also help you obtain benefits like monetary compensation, aid and attendance, educational benefits or unemployability benefits.

How can I get a better rating

There may come a time where your disability gets more severe, or your symptoms get broader or firms more challenging. In that case, it makes sense to ask for an increase in your rating. A veteran disability lawyer can assist you with this process, and also help you gather evidence to back your claim.

It's not unusual for the VA to make mistakes that result in an under-rated rating than you deserve. It's a good idea to hire a professional to check your records for any errors. They might have missed an injury or omitted any issue that could have been coupled with another condition to get an improved rating.

You are still able to file a higher-level claim or review if you have been assessed for more than a calendar year. These require a complete review of your file, and could result in changes to your effective date or an updated rating that is more in line with how you really feel.

It's also worth pursuing a supplemental claim or higher-level review if you believe you are entitled to a disability rating of 100 percent or more. A disability lawyer can assist you to create a compelling case for this rating which is reserved for the most debilitating disabilities. For example, a mental health condition could qualify you for firms an absolute disability rating because it can cause a significant interruption to work or periods of hospitalization that do not typically trigger this kind of an assessment for a cardiovascular illness or other medical issues.

Getting Help with the Appeals Process

Contrary to what many people think that denying a disability claim by the VA is not the end of a person's chances to recover benefits. Former military personnel have a year to appeal the decision if it is not favorable.

An experienced veterans disability lawyer can assist a veteran in determining which of the three current ways to appeal is most appropriate for their particular situation. They can also assist with gathering the evidence needed to convince a higher-level reviewer that their prior decision was incorrect. They may even be able to provide veterans with a more formal hearing before an Veterans Law Judge.

The greatest benefit of having a New York veteran disability attorney handle your appeal is that they will provide the personal attention your claim demands. They also have extensive experience handling VA disability claims, and they know the rules and procedures in and out. Some attorneys are veterans, and therefore are aware of the difficulties that disabled veterans face. This can lead to a particular type of empathy which can improve the outcome of an appeal for veterans' disability.

Sullivan & Kehoe can review your VA disability claim for free to determine if we are able to assist you. Call us today to schedule an evaluation for free.