Veterans Disability Lawyers

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

Choose a veterans disability attorney who focuses their practice on handling these cases and is aware of the VA's system inside out. This will ensure that your case receives the attention it deserves.

Proving Service Connection

The VA will only offer disability benefits if it's proven that your condition is related to your military service. This is referred to as a nexus. There are many types of evidence you can prove this connection, such as medical records and independent medical examinations (IME), and the nexus letters of 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 missing or insufficient military treatment records. These cases require the help of experienced New York disability lawyers who are able to present an accurate claim and submit evidence that is backed up by unbiased experts.

It is much easier to establish an immediate connection with your service to illnesses or injuries that you sustained while in the military. For instance, if you received a head injury during your time in service and you are suffering headaches and concussions, there is a direct link between the events that led to your current condition.

However, it is more difficult to get connected if you suffer from a pre-existing medical condition that grew worse during your time in the military. To prove that your time in service has aggravated or worsened an existing medical condition You must present expert medical evidence that reaches the level of "clear and undeniable" evidence.

Appealing a Denied Application

After submitting an application and submitting medical evidence after which the VA will review the application. The VA usually issues an approval or denial of benefits. If the decision is not in favor the veteran has one year to file a Notice of Disparagement. A disability lawyer for veterans can assist the claimant in navigating the three review options that include the supplemental claim, the higher-level review, or a direct appeal to the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

Be sure to consider whether the lawyer has a good understanding of your military experiences and the culture of the armed services when choosing a New York veterans disability law' disability lawyer. This will make it easier for you to understand and reduce the necessity to explain your circumstances and experiences in a layman's way.

You should also choose a firm who will remain on your case for the entire appeals process of several years. Be wary of firms that only help you with the initial stages of your claim and then vanish.

An experienced New York veterans' disability attorney can assist you through every stage of your claim and appeals. They can help you submit additional medical evidence, request an official hearing, and also represent you in any Board meetings to ensure that your case will be dealt with in a fair manner. They can also help you win you benefits such as financial compensations, aid and attendance benefits, educational benefits, or unemployment.

Earning a higher rating

There might come a time that your disability becomes more severe, or your symptoms get broader or more challenging. In such a case, it makes sense to ask for an increase in your rating. A veteran disability lawyer can help you in this process and assist you to gather evidence to prove your claim.

It's not unusual for the VA make mistakes, which can result in an under-rated rating than you deserve. It's worth contacting an expert to look over your records for errors. They may have overlooked an injury or missed a problem which could be added to another disability to get an even higher rating.

You may still file a higher-level claim and review if you've been assessed for more than a calendar year. This could include a thorough review of your entire record, which could result in modifications to your effective date as well as a new rating more accurate to the feelings you have.

It's also advisable to file a supplemental claim or higher-level review if you believe you're entitled to a disability grade that is 100 percent or more. A disability lawyer can help develop a compelling argument for this rating which is reserved for the most debilitating of disabilities. For instance mental health issues could be a reason to get a 100% disability rating due to the fact that it causes significant interruption to work or periods of hospitalization, which don't normally trigger this type of the rating for a heart disease or veterans disability case other medical problems.

Assistance with the Appeals Process

Contrary to what some may believe Contrary to what some may believe, contrary to what some may believe, a VA denial of disability benefits doesn't mean that an individual has no chance of recovering benefits. In fact, a former soldier has a year from the date the local veterans' hospital or office sends them a decision that is not favorable to file an appeal.

A skilled veteran disability lawyer can assist a veteran in determining which of the three appeals options is the best option for their situation. They can also assist an individual vet put the evidence they need to convince a higher level reviewer that the previous decision was incorrect. They can even assist a veteran with a formal hearing before a Veterans Law Judge.

The benefit of having a New York veteran disability attorney handle your appeal is that they are able to give you the individual attention your claim demands. They will also have extensive experience in managing VA disability claims, and they understand the rules and procedure in detail. Additionally, some lawyers are veterans disability attorneys themselves, which means they understand the challenges disabled veterans have to face. This creates a unique type of empathy that can improve the outcomes of a veterans disability case.

Sullivan & Kehoe's team of experienced lawyers can evaluate your VA disability claim for free to determine if we can help you. Contact us today to set up an evaluation for free.