Veterans Disability Lawyers

A veteran disability lawyer can help you throughout the entire claims process. From collecting medical and service proof to filing an appeal of an appeal denied.

Choose a veterans disability attorney that is solely handling these cases and knows the VA's system from top to bottom. This will ensure that your case gets the attention it deserves.

Proving Service Connection

The VA will only award disability benefits if it is confirmed that your illness is linked to your military experience. This is referred to as connection. You can use different types of evidence to prove this connection. These include medical records, independent health examinations (IME) or a nexus letter from current health care providers (especially in the cases of mental health issues). There are times where veterans are diagnosed with medical disabilities, but they cannot be considered service-connected due to incomplete or omitted documents. These cases require the help of experienced New York disability attorneys who know how to present an entire claim and submit evidence backed by unbiased experts.

It is much easier to prove a direct service connection when injuries or illnesses occurred while you served 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 the events that led to your current condition.

However, it is more difficult to get service connected if you have a pre-existing medical condition that got worse while in the military. To show that your time in service caused or aggravated a pre-existing condition, you'll need to provide medical evidence from a professional that is "clear and undisputed".

Appealing to a Denial

The VA will review your application after you have submitted your application and submitted medical evidence. It usually makes a decision which either approves or denies benefits. If the decision is not favorable, the veteran is given one year to file a complaint. A veterans disability attorney can help the claimant navigate through the three decision review options: either a supplemental claim or a more advanced review, or a direct appeal before the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

When deciding on when choosing a New York veterans disability lawyer Take into consideration whether they are familiar with your military experiences and the traditions of the armed forces. This can make it easier for you and lessen the need to explain your situations and experiences in layman's terms.

You need a firm that will be working on your case throughout the lengthy appeals procedure. Beware of firms who only assist you with the first stages of your claim, 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 assist you in submitting additional medical evidence, request a formal hearing and represent you at any Board meetings to ensure your case is dealt with fairly. They can also assist you to get your benefits, like monetary compensation, aid and attendance, education benefits or unemployed benefits.

Getting a Higher Rating

There may be a point where your disability gets more severe or your symptoms become more complicated or broad. In such a case it's logical to request a higher rating. A veteran disability lawyer can assist you in this process and help collect evidence to back your claim.

It's not uncommon for the VA to make mistakes that lead to a lower disability rating than you're entitled. Whether they accidentally miss an injury that you suffer from or ignore a condition that could be linked with other disabilities to earn an increase in rating It's worthwhile to have a professional look over your records to spot any errors.

Even the fact that it's been more a year since your initial rating decision, you have the option of filing a higher-level review or supplemental claim. These involve a full review of your dossier and may result in the change of your effective date or an entirely new rating that's more accurate to how you truly feel.

If you think you're worthy of an assessment of 100 percent or higher, it's worth making a claim for supplemental benefits. A disability attorney can help you put together an argument that supports this type of rating, that is reserved for those with debilitating disabilities. A mental illness, for example, may allow you to receive a 100 percentage disability rating since it could affect your job or cause frequent hospitalizations which are not typically triggering this level of severity for a heart problem or other medical conditions.

Getting help with the Appeals Process

Despite what some people may believe the denial of an application for disability benefits by the VA is not the end of an individual's chances to get benefits. Former service members have one year to appeal the decision if it is not favorable.

An experienced veterans disability attorney can assist a veteran to determine which of the current three appeal options would be the most appropriate for his case. They can also assist an individual in assembling the evidence needed to convince a higher-level reviewer that their previous decision was wrong. They can give a veteran an opportunity to have a formal hearing before a Veterans Law judge.

A New York veteran disability lawyer can give you the personalized attention your claim requires. They also have extensive experience dealing with VA disability claims, and they know the rules and procedures both inside and outside. Some attorneys are veterans, and therefore know the challenges that disabled veterans disability attorneys face. This creates a unique type of empathy that may make a difference in the outcome of a case involving a disabled veteran.

The Sullivan & Kehoe team of highly trained lawyers can review your VA disability claim for free to determine if we can assist you. Call us today to set up your free assessment.