Veterans Disability Lawyers

A veteran disability lawyer can assist you throughout the claims process. From gathering medical and service evidence to filing an appeal of the denial of your claim.

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

Proving Service Connection

The VA will only grant disability benefits if it's confirmed that your illness is linked to your military experience. This is called a relationship. There are different types of evidence you can demonstrate this connection, including medical records as well as independent medical examinations (IME), and the nexus letter from your current health professionals or therapists (especially for mental health conditions). Sometimes veterans have medically determinable 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 lawyers who know how to present a complete claim and submit evidence that is backed up by experts who are independent.

It is easier to prove an immediate connection with your service to injuries or illnesses which occurred while in the military. If you suffered injuries in the military and now suffer from headaches or concussions, it is easier to establish a direct connection to the service.

It is a lot more difficult to become connected to a service if you have an existing condition that deteriorated during your military service. To show that your time in service caused or aggravated a pre-existing medical condition, you'll need to provide expert medical evidence that is "clear and undeniable".

Appealing to a Denial

After filing an application and providing medical evidence The VA will examine the case. The VA will usually issue an opinion either approving or denial of benefits. If the decision isn't favorable, the veteran has one year to submit a notice of disagreement. A lawyer for veterans' disability can help the claimant navigate the three possible review options that include a supplemental claim, higher-level review, or Veterans disability attorney a direct appeal to the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

Take note of whether the lawyer is familiar with your military experience as well as the culture of the armed services when selecting a New York veterans disability attorney' disability lawyer. This can make it simpler for you and decrease the necessity to explain your circumstances and experiences in layman's.

You want a firm who will work on your case through the lengthy appeals process. Beware of firms that assist you in the initial stages of your case, and then go away.

An experienced New York veterans disability attorney can help you through all phases of your claim and appeals, including the appeals procedure. They can help you submit additional medical evidence, request a formal hearing and represent you at any Board meetings to ensure that your case is treated fairly. They can also help win you benefits like financial compensations, aid and attendance benefits, educational benefits, or unemployability.

Getting a Higher Rating

It is possible that your disability becomes worse or your symptoms are more severe. It makes sense in this case to request an increase in rating. A lawyer for veterans can assist with this procedure, and assist you in finding evidence to justify your request.

It's not uncommon for the VA to make mistakes that result in receiving a lower score than you deserve. It's recommended to consult an expert to examine your records for mistakes. They may have overlooked an injury or missed the issue that could be coupled with another disability to get an increase in rating.

You can still file a higher-level claim and review if you have been evaluated for more than a calendar year. These include a review of your entire dossier, which may result in changes to your effective date as well as a new rating that is more corresponding to what you feel.

If you believe you deserve a rating of 100 percent, or higher, consider seeking a supplemental claim. A disability lawyer can help build a strong case for this rating which is only available for the most severe of disabilities. For example mental health issues might qualify you for a 100% disability rating because it can cause a significant disturbance to your job or frequent periods of hospitalization that don't usually trigger this level of the rating for a heart disease or other medical issue.

Getting help with the Appeals Process

Contrary to what some may think that denying an application for disability benefits by the VA isn't the end of a person's chances to get benefits. Former veterans have one year to appeal the decision if it is not favorable.

An experienced veteran disability attorney can assist a vet in determining which of the current three pathways for appeal would be the most appropriate for his situation. They can also assist an individual vet put the evidence needed to convince a higher level reviewer that their previous decision was not right. They can provide a veteran an extra formal hearing before an Veterans Law judge.

A New York veteran disability lawyer will give you the individual attention you require for your claim. They are also likely to have a wealth of experience in handling VA disability claims and understand the rules and procedures from top to bottom. Some lawyers are veterans, so they know the challenges that disabled veterans disability lawyer face. This can result in a unique type of empathy which can improve the outcome of a veterans' disability case.

Sullivan & Kehoe's team of experienced lawyers can evaluate your VA disability claims for free to determine whether we can help you. Contact us today to schedule your free assessment.