VA Disability Appeals
VA Disability Claim Appeals
Veterans who have been injured or who have suffered from a medical condition related to their service are entitled by law to disability compensation and medical treatment for their service-connected conditions. Every year, thousands of veterans file claims for disability based on a wide range of causes. Unfortunately, for some of them, these claims are denied and they are never provided the benefits they should receive for their condition from the VA.
A VA Disability Claim can be denied for any number of reasons. In fact, every year, about 30 percent of all VA disability claims are denied. In addition, only about 35 percent of all VA disability claim appeals are successful. This means that a large number of veterans will never receive disability payments, despite having filed the claims they were told would secure them this compensation.
If you have experienced a claim denial, you have a couple of options for appealing the decision. You can choose to conduct the appeal yourself; this may take years of time and you may still never receive your benefits.
The second option is to hire a VA-accredited attorney to help you with your VA disability claim appeal.
Why Should I Hire An Attorney?
There are some good reasons to hire an attorney for your appeal:
- You have a limited time to file. The VA only allows you one year from the date of the decision notification letter to file an appeal. If you miss that deadline, you must refile your entire claim, and will lose the ability to receive a retroactive award since the date of claim will now be changed. Having an attorney to manage your case means you will not miss important deadlines.
- The process is complicated. You must file your paperwork correctly, and this process can become extremely complicated. With the help of an attorney, you do not have to navigate the red tape associated with a VA appeal.
- There are many “hidden” rules. The VA, like most government organizations, is full of rules and regulations, not all of which are completely clear to the average veteran, or even Veteran Service Organizations. An attorney understands these regulations and can help the veteran find the best ways to handle the appeal successfully.
Veterans who try to handle their claims without the help of an attorney are sometimes successful, but often they experience months or sometimes years of frustration. In the end, they may still not have the appropriate evaluation of their disability they deserve. Hiring an attorney can give you the support you need to successfully appeal a VA disability claim that has been denied and receive the benefits you deserve.
