Veterans Disability Lawyers

A veteran disability lawyer can help you through the entire claim process. From assembling medical and veterans disability case service evidence to filing an appeal against an appeal denied.

Choose a veteran disability lawyer who is specialized in these cases and is well-versed with the VA system. This will ensure that your case gets the attention it deserves.

Proving Service Connection

The VA will only award disability benefits if it is established that your condition is related to your military service. This is known as a "nexus. There are various types of evidence you could use to show this connection, including medical records and independent medical examinations (IME), and nexus letters from current healthcare providers or therapists (especially for mental health conditions). There are times where veterans are diagnosed with medical disabilities, but they are not able to be service connected because of the absence of or insufficient documents. These cases require the help of experienced New York disability attorneys who are able to present an entire claim as well as submit evidence backed by unbiased experts.

It is simpler to establish a direct service connection when illnesses or injuries occurred during your time in the military. For instance, if you were hit in the head while serving and are now suffering headaches and concussions there is a strong connection between those events and your current health condition.

It is harder to get connected to the military if you suffered from an existing medical condition that was worsened during your military service. To prove that your service time has aggravated or exacerbated a pre-existing health condition, you'll have to provide medical evidence from a professional that is "clear and undisputed".

Appealing a Denial

After filing an application and submitting medical evidence After submitting the application and providing medical evidence, the VA will examine the case. It usually issues a decision which either approves or denies benefits. If the decision is not in favor the veteran has one year to make a notice of disagreement. A disability lawyer for veterans can help the claimant navigate the three review options -- an additional claim, a more extensive review or an appeal directly to the Board of veterans disability legal' Appeals.

When choosing the right New York veterans disability lawyer Make sure you consider whether they can understand your military experiences and the military's culture. This will make the process more comfortable and less requiring you to explain your experience and the circumstances in layman's terms.

You also want a firm that will continue to work on your case for the entire duration of your appeal. Beware of companies that will only help you with the initial phases of your claim and then disappear.

A seasoned New York veterans' disability attorney can assist you at every stage of your claim and appeals. They can help you submit additional medical evidence and request a formal hearing, and represent you at any Board meetings to ensure your case is handled in a fair manner. They can also help win you benefits such as monetary compensations, aid and education benefits, attendance benefits, or unemployment.

How to get a higher rating

It could happen that your disability becomes worse or your symptoms get more severe. It is logical in this scenario to ask for an increase in rating. A lawyer for veterans can help with that process, and help you dig up evidence to justify your request.

It's not unusual for the VA to make mistakes that result in an lower disability rating than you're entitled to. If they miss an injury you've suffered or miss a condition that could be a combination of other disabilities in order to get higher ratings it's important to have an expert look over your records to identify any errors.

You are still able to file a higher-level claim or review if you have been given a rating for more than one calendar year. This involves a thorough review of your file and can result in changes to your effective date or an updated rating that is more accurate to how you feel.

It's also worth pursuing an additional claim or higher-level review if you believe you're entitled to a disability grade of 100 percent or greater. A disability attorney can help you create an argument that is convincing for this kind of rating, which is reserved for extremely debilitating disabilities. A mental health problem such as depression, for instance, could be a reason to get a 100 percentage disability rating since it could hinder your employment or result in frequent hospitalizations that would not normally trigger this level of a cardiovascular issue or other medical condition.

Helping with the Appeals Process

Despite what some think, the denial of an appeal for disability by the VA is not the end of an individual's chance to get benefits. Former service members have a year to appeal any decision that isn't favorable.

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

The most appealing aspect of having an New York veteran disability attorney handle your appeal is that they'll give you the attention and care that your claim needs. They also have extensive experience dealing with VA disability claims and understand the rules and procedures inside and out. Additionally, some lawyers are veterans themselves, which means that they understand the issues disabled veterans disability case face. This creates a unique kind of empathy that can sometimes enhance the outcome of a veterans disability case.

Sullivan & Kehoe can review your VA disability claim at no cost to determine if we are able to assist you. Contact us today for your free evaluation.