Veterans Disability Lawyers

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

Select a veteran disability lawyer who specializes in these cases and is familiar with the VA system. This will ensure that your case receives the care it deserves.

Proving Service Connection

The VA will only grant disability benefits if they can prove that the condition you suffer from is related to your military service. This is referred to as a nexus. There are various types of evidence that you can prove the connection, including medical records and independent medical examinations (IME), and letters from current healthcare providers or therapists (especially for mental health conditions). Sometimes, veterans suffer from medically-determinable disabilities but aren't able to get connected because of missing or insufficient military treatment records. These cases require the assistance of experienced New York disability lawyers who know how to make an entire claim and provide evidence that is backed by experts who are impartial.

It is much easier to establish a direct connection if injuries or illnesses occurred while you were in the military. For instance, if you suffered head injuries during your time in service and you are suffering from concussions and headaches, there is a direct link between these events and your current condition.

However, it's more difficult to be connected if you have a pre-existing medical condition that became worse 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 rises to the level of "clear and irrefutable" evidence.

Appealing a Denied Application

The VA will review your application after you have submitted your application and provided medical evidence. The VA will typically issue a decision approving or denying benefits. If the decision isn't favorable, the veteran has one year to file a complaint. A lawyer for veterans' disabilities can help the claimant navigate the three decision review options which include a supplemental claim, higher-level review, or a direct appeal to the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

Take note of whether the lawyer is familiar with your military experiences and the traditions of the armed forces when selecting the New York veterans' disability lawyer. This can make the process more relaxed and less demanding for you to talk about your experiences and situations in layman's terms.

You should also choose a firm that will continue to work on your case for veterans disability attorney the entire appeals process of several years. Be wary about firms that assist you with the initial phases of your case and then disappear.

An experienced New York veterans' disability attorney can assist you through all phases of the claim and veterans disability attorney appeals. They can assist you in submitting more medical evidence, file an official hearing, and represent you in any Board meetings so that your case will be handled in a fair and fair manner. They can also help you get your benefits, such as monetary compensation, aid and attendance, education benefits or unemployability benefits.

Earning a higher rating

It is possible that your disability becomes worse or your symptoms are more severe. In that situation it's logical to seek a higher rating. A veteran disability lawyer can help you with this process, and also help you gather evidence to back your claim.

It's not common for the VA to make mistakes that lead to being denied a disability rating lower than you deserve. If they overlook an injury or miss a condition that could be combined with other disabilities to earn an increase in rating it's important to have a professional look over your records to look for errors.

Even the fact that it's been more one year since you made your initial rating decision, you can file a higher-level review or supplemental claim. These can include a review of your entire file that could lead to changes to the effective date of your claim and the creation of a new rating that is more precise to what you feel.

If you believe that you are entitled to an assessment of 100 percent or higher, you should consider requesting a supplemental claim. A disability attorney can help you create a convincing argument for this type of rating which is reserved for extremely serious disabilities. For example mental health issues could be a reason to get 100% disability ratings due to the fact that it causes significant interference with employment or frequent periods of hospitalization that do not usually trigger this level of an assessment for a cardiovascular disease or other medical problems.

Helping with the Appeals Process

Despite what some people may believe that denying an appeal for disability by the VA isn't the end of an individual's ability to collect benefits. In fact, a former military member can wait one year from date the local veterans' hospital or office mails them a negative decision to file an appeal.

An experienced veterans disability attorney can assist a veteran to determine which of the current three appeal options is best for his particular situation. They can also help with gathering the evidence needed to convince a higher-level reviewer their previous decision was not correct. They can even assist veterans with a more formal hearing before a 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 years of experience handling VA disability claims and are aware of the rules and procedures both inside and outside. Some attorneys are veterans, so they are aware of the difficulties faced by disabled veterans disability law firm. This can lead to a particular kind of empathy that can sometimes improve the outcome of a veterans' disability case.

Sullivan & Kehoe can review your VA disability claim for no cost to determine if we are able to help you. Call us today to set up your complimentary evaluation.