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 on a denied claim, a veteran disability lawyer can assist you throughout the entire claim process.
Choose a lawyer for veterans who limits their practice to dealing with these cases, and who knows the VA system from head to toe. This will ensure that your case gets the attention it deserves.
Proving Service Connection
The VA will only provide disability benefits only if you prove that the condition you are suffering from is related to your military service. This is known as a relationship. You can use different types of evidence to prove this connection. These include medical documents, independent health examinations (IME), or nexus letter from current health care providers (especially in the cases of mental health issues). There are times when veterans have medically determinable disabilities, but they cannot be considered service connected due to insufficient or missing records. These cases require the assistance of experienced New York disability lawyers who know how to make a complete claim and submit evidence that is backed up by independent experts.
It is much easier to prove a direct service connection when injuries or illnesses occurred while you served in the military. If you've been injured while in the military and now suffer from headaches or concussions, it's easier to prove a direct service connection.
It is difficult to be service-connected if you had an existing condition that deteriorated during your military service. To prove that your service has aggravated or exacerbated a pre-existing health condition, you'll have to present medical evidence that is "clear and irrefutable".
Appealing a Denial
The VA will review your application after you have submitted your application and provided evidence of medical necessity. The VA usually issues an approval or denial of benefits. If the decision is not favorable, the veteran has one year to submit a notice of disagreement. A veterans disability attorney can assist the claimant through the three review options: an additional claim or a higher-level review, or an direct appeal to the Board of Veterans' Appeals.
When choosing the right New York veterans disability lawyer Make sure you consider whether they have a good understanding of your military background and culture of the armed forces. This will make it easier for you and reduce the necessity to explain your circumstances and experiences in a layman's way.
You should also choose a firm who will continue to work on your case for the entire duration of your appeal. Beware of firms that only assist you with the initial phases of your case and then disappear.
An experienced New York
veterans disability attorney can assist you in all stages of your claim, including the appeals process. 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 handled in a fair manner. They can also assist in obtaining you benefits such as monetary compensations, aid and attendance benefits, education benefits, or unemployability.
Getting a Higher Rating
It could be that your disability gets worse or your symptoms get more severe. In that case, it makes sense to ask for a higher rating. A veterans disability lawyer can assist in that process, and can help you find evidence to prove your claim.
It's not uncommon for the VA to make mistakes that result in an lower disability rating than you're entitled to. It's worth contacting an expert to examine your records for any errors. They may have overlooked an injury or omitted any issue that could have been combined with another disability to earn an even higher rating.
Even the fact that it's been more one year since you made your initial rating decision, you have the option of filing a higher-level review or supplemental claim. These involve a full review of your file. It could result in the change of your effective date or an entirely new rating that's more accurate to how you truly feel.
If you believe you deserve a rating of 100 percent, or more, it's worth applying for a supplemental claim. A disability attorney can help you develop a compelling argument for this kind of rating, which is reserved for extremely severe disabilities. A mental health condition for instance, might qualify you for a 100 percentage disability rating since it can interfere with employment or result in frequent hospitalizations that do not normally trigger this level of a cardiovascular problem or other medical issues.
Need help with the Appeals Process
Contrary what some believe Contrary to what some may believe, contrary to what some may believe, a VA denial of disability benefits doesn't mean that the person has no chance of recovering benefits. In fact, a former veteran can wait one year from date that their local veterans hospital or office sends them a decision that is not favorable to appeal.
A skilled veteran disability lawyer can assist a veteran in determining which of the three appeals routes is most suitable for their case. They can also help an individual in assembling the evidence required to convince a higher-level reviewer their prior decision was incorrect. They may even be able to provide veterans with a formal hearing before a
veterans disability law firms Law Judge.
A New York veteran disability lawyer will give you the individualized attention your claim requires. They also have a lot of experience handling VA disability claims, and they are aware of the rules and procedure in detail. Additionally, some
lawyers are veterans themselves, which means they understand the challenges that disabled veterans have to face. This can result in a unique type of empathy which can help improve the outcome of an issue involving veterans' disability.
The team at Sullivan &Kehoe of highly-trained lawyers can review your VA disability claims free of charge to determine if we can assist you. Call us today to schedule your free assessment.