Veterans Disability Lawyers

A veteran disability lawyer can assist you throughout the entire claims process. From gathering medical and service proof to filing an appeal against a denied claim, a veteran disability lawyer can help you through the entire claims process.

Choose a veteran disability lawyer that is solely handling these cases and is aware of the VA's system from top to bottom. This will ensure that your case gets the attention it deserves.

Proving Service Connection

The VA will only offer disability benefits if it's proven that your condition is related to your military service. This is called a nexus. There are different types of evidence that you can use to show this connection, such as medical records and independent medical examinations (IME) and nexus letters from current health professionals or therapists (especially for mental health issues). There are times when veterans have medically determinable disabilities, but they are not able to be considered to be service-connected due missing or incomplete documents. These cases require the assistance of experienced New York disability attorneys who know how to present an entire claim and provide evidence that is backed up by independent experts.

It is simpler to prove a direct connection if injuries or illnesses occurred while you served in the military. For instance, if received a head injury while serving and are now suffering headaches and concussions there is a direct link between those events and your current condition.

It is more difficult to be service-connected if there was an existing condition that got worse while you were in military service. To show that your time in service caused or aggravated a pre-existing condition, you will need to present medical evidence from an expert that is "clear and undeniable".

Appealing a Denied Application

The VA will review your application after you have submitted your application and provided medical evidence. The VA will usually issue the decision of approving or disapproving benefits. If the decision is not favorable, the veteran has a year to submit a notice of disagreement. A lawyer for veterans' disability can assist the claimant in navigating the three options for review -- a supplemental claim, higher-level review, or direct appeal to the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

When deciding on the right New York ashland city veterans disability attorney disability lawyer, be sure to consider whether they are familiar with your military experience and the army's culture. This can make things easier for you and reduce the necessity to explain your circumstances and experiences in layman's terms.

You also need a company that will work on your case for the entire duration of your appeal. Beware of firms that only assist you in the initial stages of your case, only to then go away.

A seasoned New York veterans' disability lawyer can assist you in all stages of the claim including appeals. They can assist you in submitting additional medical evidence or request a formal hearing and represent you at any Board meetings to ensure your case is treated fairly. They can also help you win your benefits, including monetary compensation, aid and attendance, education benefits or unemployment benefits.

Getting a Higher Rating

There might come a time where your disability gets more severe, or your symptoms get more difficult or wider. In this case, it makes sense to seek a higher rating. A veterans disability lawyer can assist with this procedure, and assist you in locating evidence to support your request.

It's not unusual for the VA to make mistakes that result in a lower rating than you deserve. It's a good idea to hire an expert to look over your records for any errors. They might have missed an injury or left out an issue that could be added to another disability to receive a higher rating.

Even when it's been over a year since your initial rating decision, you still have the option of filing an additional review or claim. These involve a full review of your file. It could result in the change of your effective date or a new rating that's more in line with how you feel.

If you think you're worthy of an assessment of 100 percent, or more, it's worth requesting a supplemental claim. A disability lawyer can help you put together a convincing argument for this kind of rating, that is reserved for those with debilitating disabilities. A mental illness like this one, for instance, may be a reason to get a 100 percentage disability rating since it could affect your job or cause frequent hospitalizations that are not typically triggering this level of a cardiovascular issue or other medical condition.

Assistance with the Appeals Process

Contrary to what many people believe the denial of an appeal for disability by the VA isn't the end of an individual's ability to get benefits. In fact, a former soldier has one year from the date the local veterans' hospital or office sends them a denial to file an appeal.

An experienced veteran disability attorney can assist a veteran to determine which of the current three pathways for appeal would be the most appropriate for his particular situation. They can also help an individual in assembling the evidence required to convince a higher-level reviewer their prior decision was incorrect. They can also provide a veteran with an additional formal hearing front of a Veterans Law judge.

The benefit of having a New York veteran disability attorney handle your appeal is that they are able to provide the personal attention your claim needs. They also have extensive experience dealing with VA disability claims and understand the rules and procedures inside and out. Some lawyers are veterans, and therefore know the challenges that disabled boerne veterans disability attorney face. This can lead to a particular type of empathy which can help improve the outcome of an appeal for veterans' disability.

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