Friedman Law Firm
VA Benefits: Veterans Disability Claims
VA Benefits: Veterans Disability Claims
If you have a medical condition related to your service in any branch of U.S. military service, you may be eligible for disability compensation benefits available through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ("the VA"). You may also be eligible for dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) benefits as the surviving spouse of a military veteran who had a service-related disability or disease. If you have applied and been denied, that does not have to be the end of your quest.
Applications for veterans compensation and pension benefits can be completed online or in person at any VA service center, but unjust claim denials and administrative problems are common. Persistence may not be enough to overcome an initial VA claim denial. Some cases are in the system for many years, and representation by a qualified VA claims lawyer may prove critical to your success.
A skilled and experienced VA disability attorney will have seen the many cases in which veterans who actually qualify for disability benefits have been denied due to missing information or incorrect forms. Or in some cases an applicant may have been approved for veterans benefits but has received a low disability rating. Disability ratings under 100% generally do not provide enough income to live on but often the veteran still isn't able to find or maintain work due to a service-connected disability.
Contact our lawyers if your claim has been denied or you feel you need to increase your VA disability rating.
Essential Information Related to Your VA Benefits Eligibility and Claim Denials
If you are evaluating whether to apply for VA disability benefits or want to contest a denied claim, you should know that:
You will be required to prove that you have a current medical or psychological condition considered severe under VA criteria and connected to an event or condition that occurred during your military service — but that condition does not have to be combat-related.
The amount of compensation you receive if approved will be based in part on the disability "rating" you are assigned — and this can be appealed and modified.
Total disability is not a requirement for receiving veterans benefits and, in fact, many veterans receive partial disability compensation while continuing to work.
Many veterans collect other state or federal government benefits in addition to what they receive from the VA, including Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) if applicable.
You may need to claim an earlier effective date for benefits.
Counsel Offered Nationwide: Veterans Disability Appeals
Our founding partner, attorney Douglas I. Friedman, has lectured and published on important veterans issues, including disabilities related to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and Agent Orange exposure. He is a sustaining member of the National Organization of Veterans Advocates equipped to help military veterans pursue their valid claims through disability compensation benefits hearings and appeals at all levels of this complex government system.
For counsel at any phase of your effort to get the veterans compensation you are entitled to, including appealing a denied claim or requesting a hearing, contact us today at Friedman Law Firm, P.C., in Birmingham. An attorney knowledgeable in denied VA claims will welcome your inquiry.