Veterans Disability Lawyers

A veteran disability lawyer will guide you through the entire process of claiming. From collecting medical and service evidence to submitting an appeal for a denied claim, a veteran disability lawyer can help you through the entire claims process.

Choose a veterans disability attorney who limits their practice to handling these cases and knows the VA's system from top to bottom. This will ensure your case receives the attention it deserves.

Proving Service Connection

The VA will only award disability benefits when it can be confirmed that your illness is linked to your military experience. This is referred to as a nexus. There are different types of evidence you could use to show this connection, including medical records as well as independent medical examinations (IME) and letters from current healthcare providers or therapists (especially for mental health issues). There are occasions that veterans suffer from medically-determined disabilities, but they are not able to be service connected because of insufficient or missing documents. These cases require the assistance of skilled New York disability lawyers who are able to present an accurate claim and submit evidence that is backed up by experts who are independent.

It is much easier to prove a direct connection if injuries or illnesses occurred while you were in the military. If you suffered injuries in the military and you now suffer from headaches or concussions, it's easier to prove a direct service connection.

It is more difficult to be service-connected if there was a pre-existing condition that worsened during your military service. In order to prove that your time in military service worsened or aggravated an existing illness you must provide a doctor's medical evidence that is at the level of "clear and irrefutable" proof.

Appealing an Denial

After filing an application and providing medical evidence, the VA will review the case. It usually makes a decision that either approves or denies benefits. If the decision isn't favorable, the veteran is given a year to file a notice of disagreement. A lawyer for veterans' disabilities can assist the claimant in navigating the three decision review options including an additional claim, a more extensive review or an appeal directly to the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

When selecting a New York veterans disability lawyer, be sure to consider whether they have a good understanding of your military experiences and the army's culture. This will make it easier for you and decrease the requirement to explain your situation and experiences in layman's.

You should also find a firm that will continue to work on your case throughout the duration of the appeals process over a period of years. Beware of companies that will only assist you with the first stages of your case, and then vanish.

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 and request a formal hearing and represent you at any Board meetings to ensure your case is handled fairly. They can also help you claim benefits such as monetary compensation, aid and attendance, educational benefits or unemployability benefits.

How do I obtain a higher rating

There could be a point that your disability becomes more severe, or your symptoms get more difficult or wider. It makes sense in this situation to ask for an increase in the rating. A lawyer for veterans' disability can assist with this process, and can assist you in locating evidence to back your request.

It's not unusual for the VA make mistakes, resulting in being awarded a lower rating than what you deserve. Whether they accidentally miss an injury you have or miss a condition that could be combined with other disabilities to get an increase in rating It's worthwhile to have a professional look over your records to look for errors.

Even if it's been more than one year since the initial rating decision, you still have the option of filing an additional review or claim. These include a review of your entire dossier, which could result in changes to your effective date, as well as a new rating that is more corresponding to your personal feelings.

It's also worth pursuing an additional claim or a higher-level review if you believe you deserve a disability rating of 100 percent or higher. A disability lawyer can help you develop an argument that supports this type of rating which is reserved for very debilitating disabilities. A mental health condition for instance, might make you eligible for a 100 percent disability rating because it can interfere with employment or cause frequent hospitalizations that do not normally trigger this level for a heart problem or any other medical condition.

Getting help with the Appeals Process

Contrary to what many people think that denying claims for disability by the VA is not the end of a person's chances to get benefits. In fact, a former veteran has one year from the date the local western springs veterans disability lawsuit' hospital or office mails them a denial to appeal.

An experienced lawyer for veterans can help a veteran determine which of the three current appeals routes is most suitable for their case. They can also help with gathering the evidence required to convince a higher-level reviewer their prior decision was incorrect. They may even be able to provide veterans with a more formal hearing before an lawrence veterans Disability attorney Law Judge.

The most appealing aspect of having an New York veteran disability attorney handle your appeal is that they'll provide the personalized attention your claim demands. They also have a wealth of experience in dealing with VA disability claims and are aware of the rules and procedures both inside and outside. Some lawyers are veterans, so they know the challenges that disabled veterans face. This can result in a unique type of empathy which could help in the resolution of the case of a disabled veteran.

Sullivan & Kehoe can review your VA disability claim free of charge to determine if we are able to help you. Call us today to set up an appointment for a free evaluation.