Veterans Disability Lawyers

A veteran disability lawyer can assist you throughout the claims process. From gathering medical and service evidence to filing an appeal of an appeal denied.

Select a veteran disability lawyer that is experienced in these cases and is familiar with the VA system. This will ensure your case gets the attention it deserves.

Proving Service Connection

The VA will only provide disability benefits if it can be established that your condition is linked to your military experience. This is called a linkage. There are different types of evidence that you could prove the connection, such as medical records or independent medical exams (IME), and nexus letters from current health professionals or therapists (especially for mental health issues). There are instances that veterans suffer from medically-determined disabilities, but they are not able to be considered service connected due to incomplete or omitted documents. These cases require the assistance of experienced New York disability lawyers who know how to make a complete claim and submit evidence that is supported by experts who are impartial.

It is easier to prove that there is a direct connection to your service for illnesses or injuries that you sustained while in the military. For instance, if were struck in the head during your time in service and you are suffering from concussions and headaches, there is a clear connection between these events and your current condition.

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

Appealing to a Denial

After submitting an application and providing medical evidence After submitting the application and providing medical evidence, the VA will review the case. The VA usually issues an opinion either approving or Veterans Disability Lawyers denial of benefits. If the decision is unfavorable the veteran is given one year to file a Notice of Disparagement. A veterans disability attorney can assist the claimant through the three decision review options: a supplemental claim or veterans disability lawyers higher-level review, or a direct appeal to the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

When choosing when choosing a New York veterans disability lawyer, be sure to consider whether they can understand your military background and military's culture. This can help you feel more comfortable and less requiring you to talk about your experiences and situations in plain language.

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

An experienced New York veterans disability attorney can assist with all stages of your claim including the appeals process. They can help you submit additional medical evidence, request an official hearing, and also represent you in any Board sessions to ensure that your case will be handled without prejudice. They can also help you win you benefits like assistance, monetary compensations and attendance benefits, education benefits, or unemployedness.

How can you get a better rating

There may come a time that your disability becomes more severe or your symptoms become more complex or broader. It makes sense in this case to request a higher rating. A veterans disability lawyer can help with that process, and they can assist you in locating evidence to prove your claim.

It's not uncommon for the VA to make mistakes that lead to a lower disability rating than you deserve. It's recommended to consult an expert to examine your records for mistakes. They could have missed an injury or neglected to mention an issue that could be in conjunction with another disability to get an even higher rating.

You are still able to submit a higher-level claim or review if you've been evaluated for more than a calendar year. These include a review of your entire dossier, which could result in modifications to the effective date of your claim and a new rating that is more corresponding to your feelings.

If you think you're worthy of an assessment of 100 percent, or higher, you should consider seeking a supplemental claim. A disability lawyer can help you create an argument that supports this type of rating which is reserved for very debilitating disabilities. A mental health issue, for example, may be a reason to get a 100% rating of disability because it could affect your job or result in frequent hospitalizations that don't normally trigger this level of severity for a heart problem or other medical conditions.

Getting help with the Appeals Process

Contrary what some believe contrary to what many may think, contrary to what some may believe, a VA denial of disability benefits does not mean that the person is in no position to claim benefits. Former service members have one year to appeal any decision that isn't favorable.

A skilled veterans disability lawyer can assist a veteran to determine which of the three current pathways for appealing would be most suitable for their case. They can also assist with gathering the evidence required to convince a higher-level reviewer that their prior decision was incorrect. They can provide a veteran a more formal hearing in before an Veterans Law judge.

A New York veteran disability lawyer can provide you with the personal attention your claim requires. They also have extensive experience in dealing with VA disability claims, and they are aware of the rules and procedure inside out. Some attorneys are veterans disability law firms, so they are aware of the difficulties that disabled veterans face. This can result in a unique kind of empathy that could help in the resolution of an appeal for veterans' disability.

Sullivan & Kehoe can review your VA disability claim for free to determine if we can help you. Contact us today to schedule your free evaluation.