Veterans still have the Higher Level Review option even after the 2017 VA disability reforms made some significant changes. For many Veterans, the extended wait time for an appeal hearing is over. Now, an appeal might simply be a matter of filling out a form. It’s not even that bad of a form, no more […]
Is the VA disability process racist? The National Veterans Council for Legal Redress and the Black Veterans Project say maybe. They are suing the Veterans Administration, saying their disability determination process lacks “transparency and accountability.”
Generally, a combination of a medical diagnosis, the disability’s symptoms, and its effect on the Veteran’s everyday life determines the amount of benefits the disabled Veteran receives. A change in any one of these areas could significantly, and positively, affect your VA disability rating. The amount of monthly financial benefits depends primarily on the disability rating. […]
The Veterans Administration recently released results for the 2019 fiscal year . Including the most common VA disabilities. In its defense, the VA’s fiscal year is different from the calendar year. And 2020 was a very busy year for all government agencies, including the VA. Other priorities, such as vaccinating as many Veterans as possible, […]
VA disability claims are individual claims. A doctor examines the veteran and determines the extent of the disability. Then a Claims Examiner determines if the Veteran’s disability is service-related. Both these determinations are subject to higher review. Class Action Claims are different in many ways. Individual Veterans may form a class and take collective action […]
Establishing a Service-Related Connection in VA Disability Claims Defining a service-related connection. In a nutshell, any illness or injury which occurred while the Veteran was on active duty. Whether or not the illness or injury was directly tied to military activity, like a combat or training injury, is service-related for VA disability purposes. Generally, illnesses include […]
Explaining a Higher Level Review Appeal. Once upon a time, there was an informal presumption that VA disability applicants were probably entitled to benefits. Claims Examiners looked for ways to approve requests and even offered assistance in many cases. Those days are long gone. Today, Claims Examiners typically assume that the Veteran is not severely […]
We want to stress the importance of properly backdating VA disability Claims. Full VA disability financial benefits could be several thousand dollars a month, depending on the circumstances of the case. So, a few months of back benefits could mean several thousand dollars. A few years of back benefits could mean much more. 2016’s Emerson […]
Understanding The Finality of VA Disability Claims This article covers fundamental regulations and the finality of VA Disability Claims. Most VA disability claims take months to successfully resolve. Many take much longer than that. Particularly since VA disability attorneys are not on board during the initial phases of these claims, they often lapse because […]
Backlog of Veteran Disability Claims The status of veteran disability claims posted in 2015. This post is based on an article published in The Washington Times earlier this year (2015). The VA sends back more than half of all disability appeal cases back for another review. Sometimes more than once. Veterans have had to wait […]