Veterans Disability Lawyers

A veteran disability lawyer can assist you through the entire claims process. From assembling medical and service evidence to submitting an appeal of a claim that has been denied.

Select a veteran disability lawyer that specializes 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 grant disability benefits if they can prove that the condition is linked to your military service. This is referred to as a nexus. There are various types of evidence you can demonstrate this connection, including medical records, independent medical examinations (IME) and nexus letters from current health professionals or therapists (especially for mental health issues). Sometimes, veterans have medically determined disabilities but cannot get service connected because of incomplete or missing military treatment records. These cases require the help of experienced New York disability lawyers who know how to make an entire claim and provide evidence that is backed by independent experts.

It is much easier to prove that there is a direct connection to your service for injuries or illnesses that occurred while you were in the military. For instance, if you were hit in the head while serving and Vimeo are now suffering headaches and concussions there is a direct link between these events and your current condition.

However, it's more difficult to get connected if you suffer from a pre-existing medical condition that grew worse while in the military. In order to prove that your service aggravated or made worse an existing medical condition You must present expert medical evidence that rises to the level of "clear and unmistakable" evidence.

Appealing to a Denial

After filing an application and submitting medical evidence, the VA will examine the case. The VA will typically issue an approval or denial of benefits. If the decision is not in favor, the veteran has one year to file a Notice of Disagreement. A disability attorney for lakewood veterans disability attorney can help the claimant navigate through the three review options - an additional claim or a higher-level review, or a direct appeal to the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

Make sure the lawyer is knowledgeable of your military experience as well as the military's culture when selecting a New York veterans' disability lawyer. This will help you feel more comfortable and less demanding for you to explain your experiences and situations in plain language.

You should also choose a firm who will remain on your case for the duration of the appeals process over a period of years. Be wary of firms that assist you in the initial stages of your case, only to then go away.

A seasoned New York veterans disability attorney will assist you with every stage of your claim including the appeals process. They can help you submit additional medical evidence and request a formal hearing, and represent you at any Board meetings to ensure your case is dealt with fairly. They can also assist you in obtaining you benefits such as monetary compensations, aid and attendance benefits, educational benefits, or unemployedness.

Receiving a Better Rating

There might come a time that your disability becomes more severe or your symptoms become more complicated or broad. In this case, it makes sense to request an increase in your rating. A veteran disability lawyer can assist you in this process and help you collect evidence to support your claim.

It's not uncommon for the VA make mistakes, which can result in a lower rating than you deserve. It's worth getting an expert to look over your records for any errors. They may have overlooked an injury or missed the issue that could be added to another disability to earn an increase in rating.

Even when it's been over one year since the initial rating decision, you still have the option of filing a higher-level review or supplemental claim. These are a thorough examination of your dossier and may result in an amendment to your effective date or vimeo a new rating that's more in line with how you truly feel.

It's also worth pursuing an additional claim or a more thorough review if you believe you're entitled to a disability grade of 100 percent or greater. A disability lawyer can help you build a strong case for this rating, which is reserved only for the most severe of disabilities. A mental health condition like this one, for instance, may make you eligible for a 100 percentage disability rating since it can interfere with employment or cause frequent hospitalizations which do not normally trigger this level of severity for a heart problem or other medical issues.

Helping with the Appeals Process

Contrary to what some may think the denial of claims for disability by the VA isn't the end of an individual's chances to receive benefits. Former service members have a year to appeal any decision that isn't favorable.

An experienced lawyer for veterans can assist a veteran to determine which of the three appeals options is the best option for their situation. They can also help an individual vet put the evidence together needed to convince a higher level reviewer that their previous decision was not correct. They may also give a veteran an extra formal hearing front of a Veterans Law judge.

The best thing about having a New York veteran disability attorney handle your appeal is that they can provide the personal attention your claim needs. They are also likely to have a wealth of experience in dealing with VA disability claims and know the rules and procedures inside and out. Additionally, some lawyers are veterans themselves, which means they understand the issues disabled veterans have to face. This can create a distinct kind of empathy that can help improve the outcome of a veterans' disability case.

Sullivan & Kehoe's team of highly-trained lawyers can review your VA disability claim for free to determine if we are able to assist you. Call us today to set up your free evaluation.