Veterans Disability Lawyers

A veteran disability lawyer will guide you through the entire claim process. From collecting medical and service evidence to filing an appeal against a denied claim A veteran disability lawyer can help you throughout the entire claims process.

Choose a veterans disability attorney 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 proven that your condition is related to your military service. This is known as a "nexus. You can make use of various types of evidence to prove this connection. These include medical records, independent health examinations (IME), or an nexus note from current healthcare providers (especially in the situation of mental health conditions). There are occasions when veterans have medically determinable disabilities, but they are not able to be service connected because of missing or incomplete documents. These cases require the assistance of skilled New York disability lawyers who are able to present a complete claim and present evidence that is confirmed by experts who are impartial.

It is much easier to establish that there is a direct connection to your service for illnesses or injuries which occurred while in the military. If you were injured in the military and you now suffer from headaches and concussions, it's easier to establish a direct connection to the service.

However, it's harder to get connected if you suffer from an existing medical condition that got worse when you were in the military. To prove that your service time aggravated or worsened a pre-existing condition, you'll need to present medical evidence from an expert that is "clear and irrefutable".

Appealing a Denied Application

The VA will review your case after you have submitted your application and submitted medical evidence. It usually issues a decision which either approves or denies benefits. If the decision is unfavorable, the veteran has one year to submit a Notice of Disagreement. A veterans disability attorney can guide the claimant through the three decision review options - the supplemental claim, or a higher-level review, or a direct appeal to the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

Consider whether the lawyer understands your military experience and the traditions of the armed forces when choosing the New York veterans' disability lawyer. This can make the process more enjoyable and eliminate the need for you to talk about your experiences and the circumstances in layman's terms.

You need a firm that will be working on your case throughout the multi-year appeals procedure. Beware of firms that help you with the initial stages of your claim, and then disappear.

An experienced New York veterans disability lawyer disability attorney will assist you with every stage of your claim, including the appeals process. They can assist you in submitting more medical evidence, request an official hearing and assist you in any Board meetings to ensure your case is handled fairly. They can also help you win you benefits, such as financial compensations, aid and attendance benefits, education benefits, or unemployability.

How can you get a better rating

It may happen that your disability becomes worse or your symptoms get more severe. In this case it is sensible to request an increase in your rating. A veteran disability lawyer can help you in this process, and also help you collect evidence to support your claim.

It's not uncommon for the VA to make mistakes that result in an under-reported disability rating than you deserve. Whether they accidentally miss an injury or overlook a problem which could be linked to other disabilities to earn higher ratings it's important to have an expert look over your records to identify any errors.

You can still make a higher-level claim, or review if you have been evaluated for more than a calendar year. These include a review of your entire file that could lead to modifications to the effective date of your claim and a new rating more accurate to the feelings you have.

If you think you're worthy of a rating of 100 percent or higher, you should consider seeking a supplemental claim. A disability attorney can help you put together a compelling argument for this kind of rating, which is reserved for extremely severe disabilities. For example the mental health issue might qualify you for 100% disability ratings because it can cause a significant interruption to work or periods of hospitalization that don't typically trigger this kind of a rating for a cardiovascular illness or other medical issues.

Assistance with the Appeals Process

Contrary to what some may believe the denial of an application for disability benefits by the VA isn't the end of an individual's chances to get benefits. Former service members have a year to appeal a decision that is not favorable.

An experienced veterans disability attorney can assist a vet in determining which of the current three appeals options would be the most appropriate for his situation. They can also help veterans put the evidence they need to convince a higher level reviewer that their previous decision was not correct. They can even assist a veteran with a more formal hearing before a Veterans Law Judge.

The greatest 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 requires. They also have a wealth of experience in handling VA disability claims, and they know the rules and procedures inside and out. Some attorneys are veterans, so they know the challenges faced by disabled veterans. This can create a distinct kind of empathy that could help in the resolution of an appeal for veterans' disability.

The team at Sullivan &Kehoe of highly trained lawyers will review your VA disability claims free of charge to determine if we are able to assist you. Call us today to set up an appointment for a free evaluation.