How a Veterans Disability Attorney Can Help You Get the Benefits You Deserve
The process of applying for benefits for rockingham veterans disability law firm disability can be overwhelming. A qualified veterans disability lawyer can help you navigate it from beginning to end.
It’s essential to find a lawyer who has a limit on their practice to disability cases and only handles those cases at each level of appeal. This ensures you’re receiving the best legal representation.
Appeal
When the VA rejects or doesn’t approve a claim, the veteran or the surviving spouse can appeal. Even the most basic disability claim can make this a complicated and lengthy procedure. A veteran disability lawyer can help you understand all your options and obtain the benefits you deserve.
The most common reason for people to file a claim for disability is that they are not satisfied with their disability rating. In this situation an attorney can make sure that there is sufficient evidence to back an appropriate rating for a condition that is caused or made worse by military service.
A punxsutawney veterans Disability lawyer disability lawyer could be required by those who have been waiting too long to receive their benefits. The lawyer can assist in determining what documents are missing and then make a request for these records to the VA.
A lawyer for veterans will also help you get rid of the burden of dealing directly with the VA. This gives you the time to focus on your health and any other obligations you have. Some lawyers are veterans, and this can result in an innate empathy for their clients. This can make a major difference in the result of the appeal.
Higher-Level Reviews
Since the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017 (AMA) Veterans have more options when they disagree with VA decisions on their claims. The Higher-Level Review is a decision review option that allows the senior reviewer to review the same evidence as was presented in the original claim, and then make an additional decision on the case. The senior reviewer is able to confirm or reverse the previous rating decision.
A veteran or their representative could request an informal meeting to discuss the case with the senior reviewer. However only one of these conferences is allowed. In this meeting it is essential to prepare and present your case’s information clearly. An attorney that specializes in the field of disability for veterans can help you prepare and participate in the informal conference.
Higher-level reviews can be used to correct errors made by the previous reviewer on a disability case for example, mistakenly interpreting evidence or committing errors in the law. The senior reviewer may alter the previous decision made on the same claim to correct these mistakes however only if the changes are beneficial to the claimant.
The more extensive review can result in a private hearing for the claimant, which provides an opportunity to speak with the person who will be reviewing the claim and present the arguments. A veterans disability lawyer can assist in determining whether or not an individual hearing is necessary and prepare and present evidence at the hearing.
Notice of Disagreement
You can file a dispute within one-year of the date the local office sent you the initial denial letter. The VA will then review your claim once more and draft a Statement of Case.
In order to file a disagreement to file a dispute, you must use VA Form 21-958. A disability lawyer can help you complete the form in a way that is effective in contesting the decision. You don’t need to list every reason why you are not with the decision. However it is best to be specific in order that the VA can understand exactly what you believe to be wrong. Your attorney can advise you on what evidence to submit with the NOD, for example, statements from medical professionals or the results of diagnostic tests.
If your appeal is not granted at this point You have a second chance to be reviewed by an experienced reviewer in the form of a Higher-Level Review. This could take anywhere from 25 months, and you must have an attorney on your side throughout the process. If the VA still denies your claim, your lawyer may request that a hearing be conducted before a Veterans Law Judge to present evidence and testimony in person. If your claim is awarded, your attorney will prepare you for your check.
Statement of the Case
Congress has passed a number of laws to ensure veterans receive compensation for illnesses, injuries, and ailments they’ve experienced during their service. But, the VA is a huge bureaucracy, and it’s easy to be lost within the system. A veteran disability lawyer can help people navigate the system and offer the assistance they need.
The VA must examine the case after the veteran has filed an official Notice of Dispute with the local VA office. This includes examining the regulations, laws and evidence used to make the original decision. This includes reviewing the medical records of the veteran and in the event of a need lay statements. The VA must provide the applicant with the Statement of Case which contains a list of evidence that it has examined.
The statement should state clearly the reasoning behind its decision, and how it determined the law and regulations that affected the case. It should address the issues that the claimant has made in his or her NOD.
The Statement of the Case is usually sent to the veteran within 120 days of the date that the NOD was filed. Due to the VA backlog, it could take longer for the agency to issue the document. Contact a veterans disability attorney from Fusco, Brandenstein & Rada, P.C. if you are a veteran contesting a decision about the basis of a rating or a claim for benefits.