Veterans Disability Lawyers

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

Choose a veteran disability attorney that is experienced in these kinds of cases and is acquainted with the VA system. This will ensure your case gets the attention it deserves.

Proving Service Connection

The VA will only offer disability benefits if it can be established that your condition is linked to your military experience. This is called a linkage. There are many types of evidence that you can prove this connection, including medical records and independent medical examinations (IME) and letters from current healthcare providers or therapists (especially for mental health conditions). There are times when veterans have medically determined disabilities, but they are not able to be considered service connected due to incomplete or omitted records. These cases require the assistance of skilled New York disability attorneys who are able to present an entire claim as well as submit evidence that is backed up by independent experts.

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

It is more difficult to be service-connected if there was an existing condition that got worse while you were in military service. In order to prove that your military service worsened or aggravated an existing medical condition it is necessary to provide expert medical evidence that is at the level of "clear and unmistakable" evidence.

Appealing a denied application

The VA will review your application after you have submitted your application and provided medical evidence. It usually issues a ruling which either approves or denies benefits. If the decision isn't favorable, the veteran is given one year to make a formal complaint. A veterans disability attorney can guide the claimant through the three review options: an additional claim or a higher-level review, or a direct appeal to the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

When choosing a New York veterans disability lawyers disability lawyer, be sure to consider whether they can understand your military background and culture of the armed forces. This will help you feel more comfortable and less demanding for you to explain your experiences and situations in layman's terms.

You should also choose a firm who will remain on your case for the entire appeals process of several years. Beware of firms who only assist you in the initial stages of your claim and then go away.

An experienced New York veterans' disability attorney can assist you through all stages of the claim including appeals. 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 handled in a fair manner. They can also assist you to get your benefits, like monetary compensation, aid and attendance, educational benefits or unemployed benefits.

Getting a Higher Rating

There may be a point that your disability becomes more severe, or your symptoms get more complex or broader. It makes sense in this situation to ask for an increase in the rating. A veteran disability lawyer can assist you with this process and assist you to gather evidence to prove your claim.

It's not uncommon for the VA make mistakes, resulting in receiving a lower score than you deserve. It's a good idea to hire an expert to look over your records for veterans Disability Lawyers mistakes. They could have missed an injury or left out the issue that could be added to another disability to get an improved rating.

You may still file a higher-level claim and review if you have been given a rating for more than one calendar year. This could include a thorough review of your entire dossier, which could result in modifications to your effective date as well as a new rating that is more corresponding to your personal feelings.

It's also worth pursuing an additional claim or higher-level review if you're arguing that you deserve a disability rating of 100 percent or more. A disability lawyer can help you make a convincing case for this rating that is reserved for the most debilitating of disabilities. A mental health issue like this one, for instance, may qualify you for a 100% rating of disability because it could affect your job or cause frequent hospitalizations which don't normally trigger this level for Veterans disability lawyers a heart problem or other medical issues.

Getting Help with the Appeals Process

Despite what some think that denying claims for disability by the VA is not the end of an individual's ability to get benefits. Former veterans have one year to appeal any decision that isn't favorable.

An experienced lawyer for veterans can help a veteran decide which of the three current appeals routes is most suitable for their case. They can also assist a vet in gathering the evidence needed 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 an Veterans Law Judge.

A New York veteran disability lawyer can provide you with the personal attention to your claim that you require. They are also likely to have a wealth of experience in dealing with VA disability claims and are aware of the rules and procedures inside and out. Some attorneys are veterans, so they are aware of the difficulties that disabled veterans face. This can result in a unique kind of empathy that can improve the outcome of the case of a disabled veteran.

Sullivan & Kehoe can review your VA disability claim free of charge to determine if we can assist you. Contact us today for an appointment for a free evaluation.