Veterans Disability Lawyers

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

Choose a veteran disability lawyer who focuses their practice on dealing with these cases, and who knows the VA's system inside out. This will ensure that your case receives the attention it deserves.

Proving Service Connection

The VA will only grant disability benefits if you can prove that the condition is linked to your military service. This is referred to as connection. You can make use of various types of evidence to prove this connection. These include medical records, independent health assessments (IME), or veterans disability lawyer an nexus letter from your current healthcare providers (especially in the case of mental health conditions). There are instances when veterans have medically determined disabilities, but they are not able to be considered service connected due to insufficient or missing documents. These cases require the assistance of experienced New York disability attorneys who are skilled at presenting an entire case and submit evidence backed by impartial experts.

It is easier to prove a direct connection if injuries or illnesses occurred while you were in the military. For example, if you were hit in the head during service and now suffer headaches and concussions there is a clear link between the events that led to your current condition.

However, it is more difficult to get service connected if you have an existing medical condition that worsened when you were in the military. To prove that your time in military service worsened or aggravated an existing illness it is necessary to provide expert medical evidence that reaches the level of "clear and irrefutable" evidence.

Appealing a Denial

The VA will review your application after you have submitted your application and provided medical proof. The VA typically issues an opinion either approving or denial of benefits. If the decision isn't favorable, the veteran is given a year to make a formal complaint. A veterans disability lawyer can assist the claimant in navigating the three review options -- the supplemental claim, the higher-level review or an appeal directly to the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

When selecting the right New York veterans disability law firms disability lawyer Take into consideration whether they are familiar with your military experience and the military's culture. This will make the process more comfortable and less requiring you to describe your experiences and the circumstances in layman's terms.

You need a firm that will work on your case throughout the lengthy appeals process. Beware of firms that assist you in the initial stages of your case, and then vanish.

A seasoned New York veterans disability attorney can help you through all phases of your claim including the appeals process. 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 handled in a fair manner. They can also assist you to win your benefits, like monetary compensation aid and attendance, educational benefits or unemployed benefits.

How can you get a better rating

It could happen that your disability becomes worse or your symptoms get more severe. In this case, it makes sense to request a higher rating. A veterans disability lawyer can assist with this procedure, and help you find evidence to support your request.

It's not common for the VA to make mistakes that lead to an under-reported disability rating than you're entitled. It's worth contacting an expert to look over your records for errors. They could have missed an injury or omitted an issue that could be added to another disability to receive an even higher rating.

Even if it's been more than one year since your initial rating decision, you still have the option of filing an additional review or claim. These can include a review of your entire dossier, that could lead to modifications to the effective date of your claim and a new rating more accurate to the feelings you have.

It's also advisable to file an additional claim or a higher-level review if you believe you deserve a disability rating that is 100 percent or more. A disability lawyer can assist you to make a convincing case for this rating which is reserved for the most debilitating of disabilities. For example the mental health issue could qualify you for 100% disability ratings due to the fact that it causes significant disturbance to your job or frequent periods of hospitalization that do not usually trigger this level of rating for cardiovascular illness or other medical issues.

Need help with the Appeals Process

Contrary what some believe contrary to what many may think, a VA denial of disability benefits doesn't mean that a person has no chance of recovering benefits. Former service members have one year to appeal any decision that isn't favorable.

An experienced attorney for veterans can assist a vet in determining which of the current three pathways for appeal is best for his situation. They can also assist veterans put the evidence needed to convince a higher level reviewer that their previous decision was not correct. They may even be able to provide a veteran with a formal hearing before an 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 deserves. They also have a wealth of experience in handling VA disability claims, and they are aware of the rules and procedure completely. Some lawyers are veterans, and therefore are aware of the difficulties faced by disabled veterans. This creates a unique type of empathy that can improve the outcomes of a disability claim for veterans.

Sullivan & Kehoe can review your VA disability claim for no cost to determine if we are able to assist you. Contact us today to arrange your free evaluation.